By Fate or Free Will
by Spuffy516
Summary: "Halloween" episode re-write from S2 as a challenge response from Rezol87 on Elysian Fields. Both Buffy and Spike are pulled into the chaos of Halloween this time, but they disappear and no one can seem to find them. Where and when will they be found and how will this change their futures? Starts off in the Halloween shop and goes AU almost instantly.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

CHAPTER 1

"What'd you get?" Buffy asked Willow as she approached her in the new Halloween store that had opened for the season.

"A time-honored classic!" Willow excitedly held up her costume of choice for her best friend to see. A person covered in a white sheet with the word 'Boo!' written across the chest- the most cartoonish of ghost depictions- marred the front of the package that held her disguise for the upcoming holiday.

Buffy inwardly cringed. "Ok, well, can I give you a little friendly advice?"

Willow looked concerned. "Its not spooky enough?"

"Its just… you're never gonna get noticed if you keep hiding. You're missing the whole point of Halloween."

Willow's face brightened a bit as she replied. "Free candy?" It was a question.

Buffy rolled her eyes playfully. "Its 'come as you aren't' night. It's the perfect chance for a girl to get sexy and wild with no repercussions."

"Oh I don't get wild. Wild on me equals 'spaz'."

Buffy watched as her friendly slowly regressed into herself as she so often did and felt the need to encourage her. "Don't underestimate yourself. You got it in you."

Xander approached them just as Buffy finished speaking. Grateful for the interruption, Willow turned her attention to her other best friend.

"Hey, Xander. What'd you get?" Xander pulled a black toy machine gun with a red tip from his bag and held it proudly.

"That's not a costume", Buffy said.

Xander shot an annoyed look at her; still upset over the way she defended him from a bully earlier that day in their school cafeteria, thus, putting his 'manly reputation' at stake. Just as quickly as he looked at her, he turned his attention back to Willow.

"I got fatigues from an army surplus at home. Call me the $2 costume king, baby."

Buffy still felt really bad about unintentionally embarrassing her friend and she wanted to make it better. "Hey look, Xander. I'm really sorry about this morning. "

Xander abruptly turned to look at Buffy, pointing his toy gun in her face.

"Do you mind, Buffy? I'm trying to repress." He turned away from her again and she slowly approached him before resting her chin on his shoulder and speaking in the sweetest voice she could muster.

"Okay. Then I promise from now on I'll let you get pummeled."

One look at her big doe eyes and Xander caved but his response to Buffy fell on deaf ears as her attention was stolen by the gorgeous dress across the store that looked like it belonged in the 18th century.

Buffy slowly approached the dress as she took in its intricate details. It was a gorgeous velvet dress, magenta in color, with three-quarter inch sleeves that were trimmed in white lace with a white-lace trimmed collar to match. Three small pink ribbons tied into bows adorned the collar as well, just under the lace trimming, while a larger gold bow was placed just at the center junction of the fitted bodice and large fanned-out skirt. A lighter pink satin ran down the center of the dress framed in a golden trim and provided a beautiful contrast to the darker pink velvet fabric.

It was perfect- just like the dress her and Willow had seen in Giles' old watcher diary earlier that day. If this didn't grab Angel's attention, she didn't know what would.

"Hello. That was our touching reconciliation moment there", said a slightly annoyed Xander.

"I'm sorry. Its just… look at this."

Willow mirrored the awe in Buffy's voice. "Its amazing."

"Too bulky. I prefer my women in spandex".

A man then came into the room and approached the three friends from what looked like a back room.

"Please. Let me." He unzipped the dress and removed it from the cage-wire mannequin.

"Oh its-"

"Magnificent. Yes, I know. There."

Holding it up against Buffy as he stood behind her in the mirror, he spoke again.

"My! Meet the hidden princess. But have we really found a match?"

Buffy let her eyes leave her reflection to meet those of the man who seemed to be the shop-keeper. It was almost as though he could read her mind.

Yea, Buffy wanted nothing more than to have Angel's attention riveted on her, but did she have to go as far as dressing as something she wasn't to get it?

Ok, so she had just told Willow that Halloween was "come as you aren't" night, but if she was honest with herself, this was just a little too "aren't" for her taste. Buffy didn't want to be labeled as just a pretty little miss priss who couldn't fend for herself. She was the slayer and even if it was Halloween, she wanted a costume that made her feel beautiful AND strong.

Sensing her hesitation, the man began to put the dress back on the mannequin.

"No, I would think not. But I may have just the thing. This way." He began to lead them to the back of the store and just as they turned the corner, Buffy caught a glimpse of another steel-wire mannequin that was empty, but the one next to it? Wow… now THAT was a costume.

A stunning white toga hung from the second mannequin. The shoulder straps were made of three thin strips of leather-like material that were the color of gold and fashioned into braids. They extended down to outline the triangular cups that would cover her breasts and then combined halfway down the waist. The braids seemed to multiply at this junction and wrapped around the width of the dress. A slit cut through the length of the long flowing skirt through which another thinner layer of fabric could be seen. A crown made of gold vines, green leaves and flowers adorned the head of the mannequin- the fabulous icing on the cake.

Suddenly, Buffy realized she'd stopped breathing and had to compensate for the lack of oxygen by gasping for breath. The man chuckled and again began removing the dress from the mannequin to hold against Buffy. The three observers looked on with awed expressions.

"Yes… now this- THIS is a dress befitting not a princess, but a _goddess_. Now we've truly found a match."

Buffy let the man's words sink in as she brought up one of her hands hold the dress to her body while the other ran the length of the skirt to hold it out to the side. As she admired her reflection, she thought of how perfect this dress was. 'No, not dress-, _costume_. Its just a costume, Buffy'.

"Oh, uh… I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this".

"Oh, nonsense", the man replied. "I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse."

-The previous night-

Ethan had opened his store about one week prior and the number of people that had come to buy from his selection of costumes was extravagant. 'This would be the most interesting Halloween of them all', he snidely thought to himself. As he approached the main entrance of the shop to lock the door, a pale, dark haired woman dressed in a long white gown strolled in. She looked lost and unsure of herself. She kept looking down toward the ground and then abruptly up at the variety of items covering the walls.

Drusilla drabbled on through the Halloween shop searching for the prettiest costume for her William. She wanted to dress him up like one of her dollies, just like she knew she always would. Ethan remained behind his counter as he watched the young woman with, undoubtedly, a perplexed look on his face. All of the lights had already been turned off in preparation for his nightly departure, but she seemed to be un-phased by the darkness in the shop.

"Pretty dollies cry tears of sunshine and fire. All wound up and turn to ash. Nothing left for the rest. The flowers take them all. Flowers can be deceiving."

This woman was clearly insane. "Yes, miss. I'm sorry but you'll have to come back tomorrow, the shop is closed.

At this, Drusilla looked up at the man and through the darkness, he could see her dark eyes burning into him. His heart rate increased so suddenly and pounded so strongly it felt as though it would burst from his chest. He struggled to keep calm as the realization that this was no woman sank in. He'd seen enough of these creatures in his lifetime to know exactly what she was. The being before him was none other than a vampire.

"The stars, they whisper. Lightning and fire and dirt and rain. Rain that flows and carries. It carries gold. Why do they hide?"

Her body seemed to glide over to him slowly and every bone in his body screamed at him to run, but he was frozen to the spot. It was as though he'd been put under a trance and could not tear his sight away from her eyes. But even through the nonsense that she spoke, it was almost like he could understand her. As though reading his mind, she slowly turned her head to glance at the curtain covering a doorway at the back of the shop.

She walked toward the door with the man following close behind her. Why was he so close? He certainly didn't intend to be, but it was like he was being pulled along against his will.

They made their way through the curtains and as they turned the corner at the back of the room, two beautiful garments came into view. A gorgeous white Grecian dress hung from one and from the other hung a makeshift suit of armor, a long staff by its side.

Drusilla clapped her hands together and bounced up and down on her toes.

"Oooooooooo, I can hear them. Hear them all. But I can't see them. _They_ can't see."

"What can't you see?"

"They're too far to see. Too far to see what they can't see."

"What can you hear?" Ethan asked. He was terrified, but he could not help but let curiosity take hold of him. To his understanding, these costumes were not to be sold, but there was no way in hell he'd deny them to a _vampire_. He valued his life far too much to do something as foolish.

Her response chilled him to the bone.

"Their screams."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

CHAPTER 2

"Do you love my insides? The parts you can't see?"

Spike turned to look at Drusilla. "Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet. That's why I've got to study this slayer. Once I know her I can kill her. And once I kill her you can have your run of Sunny _hell_ … get strong again." As soon as he replied he turned his attention back to the TV screen where he was watching a video of Buffy slaying one of his minions.

"Don't worry, everything's switching… outside to inside. " Drusilla growled in Spike's ear, "It makes her weak."

His interest piqued, Spike looked from the TV screen back to his sire. "Really? Did my pet have a vision?"

"Do you know what I miss? Leeches."

Spike sensed her playful teasing and urged her on. "Come on… talk to daddy. This thing that makes the Slayer weak, when is it?"

Drusilla grew serious and unsure of herself, weary of what Spike's response to what she had to say would be. She turned her chin down and her eyes up toward him before responding, the way a child would after being scolded. "Tomorrow…"

An incredulous Spike looked at Drusilla. "Tomorrow is Halloween. Nothing happens on Halloween."

"Someones' come to change it all. " A grin slowly spread across the expanse of her face. "Someone new."

Spike inched his head back to get a better look at his lover as realization sunk in. This would be a Happy Halloween, indeed.

"Ok Willow, come out! You can't hide in there all night."

Willow hesitated at Buffy's words. "Ok… but promise you wont laugh?"

"I promise."

Willow came out from the room across the hall dressed in a long sleeved maroon shirt with a wide open and low cut collar. It was lifted high up to her waist and tied off in the back, exposing the skin of her belly. Buffy had paired it with a fitted black leather skirt that covered about one-third of her thighs. It had a slit on the left side that went up about half the length of the skirt, giving just an extra glimpse at her sheer-black stocking clad legs. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and loose red tendrils framed her make-up covered face. She had on a black choker that seemed to elongate her neck and she wore almost knee high leather boots on her feet.

Buffy took in the site of her timid friend dressed more immodestly than she'd ever seen her and boy, was she impressed. Willow reached for the white sheet she'd originally intended to use as her costume and Buffy pulled it from her grasp, dropping it out of her reach.

"Wow, you're a dish. I mean, really."

Willow wrapped her hands around her waist while looking very unsure of herself. 'This just isn't me."

"And that's the point", Buffy said. "Look, Halloween is the night that not you _is_ you, but not you. You know?" Even if her words failed to make sense to her friend, they certainly rang true to her as she remembered her internal struggle from the day before at the costume shop. She knew she'd made the right choice. Angel would have to like her for everything that made her, her. "Now help me into this costume, Will. I just know I'm going to get all caught up in this strappy mess."

Once Buffy was dressed, she and Willow took in the site of the flawless Grecian gown. It fit Buffy perfectly, molding to each and every one of her curves in the most flattering way possible. It looked as though it had ben specially tailored for her. Willow had helped Buffy curl her hair which now hung over her shoulders in waves. She reached for the headpiece and gently put it atop Buffy's head, making sure not to ruffle her hair.

"Wow Buffy, you look incredible."

All Buffy could do was stare at her reflection in the mirror, a small smile of admiration on her face. Finally remembering being given a compliment, she responded in a breathy whisper… "Thanks."

Drusilla came floating into the room, with one of her dolls and spied Spike lying in bed with only his pants on. His arms were crossed behind his head and he was staring up at the ceiling with a perplexed look on his face.

"What has my Spike so troubled?"

"Oh, its nothing, sweets. Just trying to imagine what this thing is that's going to help me defeat the slayer is all." He reached out and took her hands in his. "Have you had anymore visions?"

Drusilla just looked at him and nodded her head from side to side. "No, but you must begin your hunt. The night is young and ready for chaos! And I must dress all my dollies for the party."

Drusilla suddenly grabbed the sides of her head and began to whimper.

"Oooooh, you're going to be late. Please, don't go. It'll burn."

Spike turned his head to the side as he looked at Drusilla. "Pet, what are you on about?"

Drusilla took one of Spike's hands in hers and pulled him up out of bed. She led him down the hall and into another room. It was large and musky, like most rooms in the factory and it was full of boxes and mannequins. It looked as though she'd currently taken a liking to this one as most of her dollies were scattered about, littering the floor. He noticed they were all naked and Dru had stuck their clothes to all the mannequins with needles.

She led him over to a mannequin that had, what looked to Spike, like a cheap rendition of battle armor. It was clearly plastic and shone black in the moonlight, with the shoulder pads and breastplate all outlined in red. "What's this, then?"

"Its for you. For the party", she sweetly replied.

Spike instantly became frustrated. "Drusilla! I'm not one of your sodding dollies that you can just dress up as you please! I wont go out there looking like a bloody wanker, especially when I'm supposed to end the _slayer_ tonight. I'd be the bloody joke of the underworld, I would!"

Drusilla looked at him with angry eyes but responded in a voice as calm as still waters. "I knew I couldn't eat the man if I wanted your present", she said with a pout.

Spike's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You actually restrained yourself from eating the bloke who…" Spike cut himself off, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind. "Oh bollocks! You made me forget what I wanted to say!"

Drusilla began to cower and whimper. "And don't make that face at me!" Spike said to her, pointing one of his fingers in her direction. Her whimpers grew louder and Spike's resolve faded. "Oh Dru…" he grabbed her face in his hands and looked her square in the eyes. "I'm sorry, baby. Daddy didn't mean to scream. Is this really necessary? Would this make you happy, love?"

As Drusilla looked at Spike something in her eyes shifted. Spike had seen the same change only a few times before but knew exactly what it meant. He didn't know how long it would last, maybe a few seconds at best, but this was one of those rare moments of lucidity his 'too far gone' love occasionally found.

She brought her hand up to his face and slowly traced the outline of his cheekbones with her finger, first one then the other. The caress was gentle, so different from the scratches and roughness he was used to. Spike moved to kiss her but before he could reach her, she stopped him by pressing her fingers to his lips. She looked him in the eyes and said to him, "I just need you to be ready". And like that, she was gone again.

Spike let out a long breath and pressed his forehead against Drusilla's, closing his eyes. "I'll wear the costume, sweets. I'll wear it for you."

Drusilla let out an excited 'Ooooohhh' as she clapped her hands together. "We must get ready for the ball!" They both stood and Drusilla lifted the breastplate from the mannequin and slowly positioned it onto Spike's body. "And now, all the girls will want to dance!" she said, twirling around in circles, her long white gown flowing around her, making her look like the darkest angel he'd ever seen.

Spike was pulled from his reverie at the feel of the plastic against his bare skin. He rolled his eyes and threw his head back to look up at the ceiling. Glancing back down at his _costume_ , he threw his hands up suddenly and quickly let them fall back to his sides- a gesture of defeat.

"I look like a bloody pillock."

Across town, Ethan Rayne was kneeling in the back room of his shop, a two faced statue head in front of him as the center of his worship. Lighted candles littered the room, giving the space an erie glow.

"Vene. Apare. Ed nobis monstra quadest infinita podestas. Persona intra corpem et sanguem comu tandemest. Veste sancta presentia, concrisket! Viskera, Janus! Sume noctem!"

Ethan finished his chanting and slowly brought his eyes up to met the empty ones of the statue before him and with a sinister look on his face he uttered one final word.

"Showtime."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

CHAPTER 3

Buffy had not at all expected this night to be fun. When Principal Snyder forced her, Xander and Willow to 'volunteer' for the Halloween Safety Program this year, she was sure their holiday would be a bust. However, trick-or-treating with the kids had been surprisingly pleasant. Buffy had never really spent too much time around kids and she was just now realizing how cute and absolutely hilarious they could be. She was even considering volunteering her time to do this next year as well.

Buffy watched her group of kids come down the walkway of the last house they'd just visited and crouched down in front of them to see their latest conquest.

"What did Mrs. Davis give you?" She asked them.

The children frowned and looked at Buffy pitifully, holding out toothbrushes in each of their hands.

"She must be stopped", Buffy playfully exclaimed. "Lets hit one more house. We still have a few minutes before I need to get you back."

As they approached the house on the end of the street, Buffy felt a cool breeze blow by and instantly something felt different but she couldn't place what it was. She suddenly felt unsteady and had to lean against a nearby tree for support.

What happened next should have terrified her. Spurred her into action at least, but Buffy simply stood there and watched it happen. It was as though the tree had come to life and branches began curling around her. Vines sprung forth from the ground and one wrapped itself around her right calf and another around her left bicep, but they weren't restricting her movement. No, not at all. If anything it felt like a gentle caress. She watched in awe as the vines broke off from the ground, leaving the sections that had wrapped around her in place, serving as beautiful accessories from the earth. Thin branches came down to caress her face and she brought her hand up to one and stroked it, returning the favor.

A wide smile spread across her face as she began to enjoy the attentions currently being bestowed upon her. As she twirled about giggling to herself, a woman dressed in the strangest of garments frantically approached her followed by a man with dark hair.

"Buffy! Are you ok?"

She looked at the woman perplexed, no doubt. "Is it I you address?"

"Buffy? Do you know me?"

"Who are you? And where am I? This is the strangest of places but the trees are still quite lovely. How did I come to be here?"

"Ohhh… this should be fun." Willow's voice bled sarcasm. "My name is Willow, and we're all friends." Turning her attention back to Xander she said in a panic, "How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer?!"

Not Xander's confusion was written all over his face. "What's a slayer?"

Willow huffed- she was beyond over tonight. While she was out with her group of children something crazy happened and some of them turned into what they had been dressed as. Yea! Two little kids had been dressed up as demons and suddenly, they really were demons! And as though that weren't enough, she had died! She too had transformed into what she was dressed as- a ghost.

And as luck would have it, she didn't even get to keep the sheet and was currently strolling around town in her skimpy outfit from earlier. But if she was honest with herself, that was the least of her worries. Aside from the big non-corporeal issue she was having, she needed to find a way to bring a stop to this and _fast._

Just then a demon came from behind the tree and attempted to attack them. Not Xander hit the creature with the butt of his gun, knocking it unconscious.

"I suggest we get inside before we come across another demon. Where do we go?" He asked Willow.

Willow looked around, lost in thought. "Where's the closest- We can go to a friends!" she exclaimed.

Not Buffy had since turned her attention back to the tree and before she could resume playing with it, she was grabbed by the wrist and tugged along with her supposed 'friends', forcing a big "umphh" of surprise from her.

Willow led them to Buffy's house and just as they approached her driveway, a screaming Cordelia came barreling down the street being chased by none other than Big Foot himself. Not Xander went after her and just before the beast was able to wrap its paws around her, Xander began laying down cover fire. The noise effectively scared the monster in the opposite direction and both he and Cordelia ran back toward the house, locking themselves inside with Not Buffy and Willow.

"What the hell is going on?!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Cordelia!" Willow said. "Ok! YournameisCordeliayou'renotacatyoureinhighschoolandwe'reyourfriends… well sort of." She got it all out in one breath.

An annoyed Cordelia looked back at Willow.

"That's nice, Willow. And you went mental _when_?"

Willow looked back at Cordelia in shock, not expecting her to have recognized any of them.

"You know us?!"

"Yea, lucky me. What's with the name game?!" She cried.

"A lots going on!" Willow said.

"Yea, no kidding! I was just attacked by JoJo, the dog-faced boy. _Look_ at my costume." Cordelia whined, showing Willow the tears in her sleeves. "Do you really think that Party Town is going to give me my deposit back? _Not_ in the likely."

Not Xander removed his coat and draped it over Cordelia's shoulders. "Here", he said.

She looked back at him with confusion and gratitude, all in one. "Thanks…"

"What the…" Not Xander was looking in the direction of Not Buffy and all three friends turned to see what had caught him so off guard.

That was when they spotted Not Buffy extending her hand out to touch a potted plant that appeared to be moving of its own accord. The plant begun wrapping itself along her right wrist and extended down the length of her hand to coil around her middle finger. It gently broke off from itself, leaving a little piece of nature on her hand.

Not Buffy was elated. She extended her hand out in a fit of giggles, admiring yet another beautiful gift from the earth. That was when she noticed the others in the room staring at her at her in shock.

"What?" she asked.

They stared on wide-eyed and after what felt like hours, Willow broke the silence.

"Okaaaay… you guys stay here while I get some help. If something tries to get in just fight it off."

Willow slowly moved away from them, never once removing her eyes from Not Buffy and disappeared through the wall, leaving a dumbfounded Not Xander and Cordelia in her wake.

"What in the world is going on?" She thought.

As Spike made his way down the street wearing his toy-armor he couldn't help but notice all the glances people were throwing his way. He'd originally intended to put on a shirt before leaving the factory, but when Drusilla saw him reach for the chest plate with intent to remove it she became hysterical- screaming something or other about how he would miss the party if he did. He tried to explain to her that it would be only for a moment to put a shirt on so he wouldn't draw attention to himself while he was out on the town, but she would hear nothing of it. In effort to spare her from one of her episodes of hysteria he acquiesced to her request and slipped out into the night without the cover of a shirt.

And how correct he had been. Ever since he'd reached the residential neighborhood he'd gotten looks that's ranged from vehement disapproval from parents to ones that left even his demon feeling violated. And if one more teenaged boy crossed his path snickering, he would surely eat them.

Spike was coming up to a house that had a group of middle-aged women convening on the lawn and he turned his head down in an effort to avoid their annoying considerations. Spike was internally fuming. He hadn't felt this bloody bashful since he was human. He was a _vampire_ , for bloods sake! He shouldn't feel _embarrassed_!

Just as he picked up his pace to pass the now prying eyes of the pack of hyenas, he felt a cool breeze blow by, stopping him in his tracks. It wasn't so much the sudden pick up in the wind, but the fact that he actually sensed its frigid temperature that caught him off guard.

Spike began looking around in an attempt to find the source of this unsettling breeze, to no avail. All too suddenly, a strange warmth that quickly transformed into a scorching heat began emanating from the chest plate. It felt as though it was melting into his skin and he futilely attempted to pull it from his body.

The heat continued to intensify and as if it weren't already painful enough, he felt it begin to radiate down his torso and the length of his arms. He looked down at himself and took in the site of what looked like molten lava slowly coating every inch of his body.

"Oh, bollocks", he thought.

After traveling down the length of his arms and legs, the fire began to spread up his neck, forcing his head back in pain. A loud roar erupted from his throat as he looked up into the starry sky, finally giving in to the force currently consuming him.

The burning finally stopped. The fiery lava had disappeared leaving a complete suit of black and red armor in its wake. He brought his head up, taking in the sight of his unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where am I?" he said aloud. "Where was I before this?"

How did he get to this strange place? And where was he before all of this? He stood in the middle of the street taking in the chaos around him. It appeared as though he had somehow become trapped in a world ruled by tiny demons and he couldn't help but look on at everything in confusion. That was when he remembered.

"The garden!" He exclaimed. "We were just in the garden! But where is she now?"

He threw his head up to the wind and took in a long, deep breath. A devious smirk spread across his face as he smelled the object of his affections.

She was near.

"Now to get what I came for", he said to himself, turning the palms of his hands and head up toward the sky. But nothing happened. Why was he still visible?

"What the…" He brought a hand up to his head and realized he didn't have on his crown. "By the Gods! Where has it gone?!"

He frantically spun around in circles while staring at the ground, trying to find where it could have fallen.

"Crap, crap, crap! You can't do this without it, you imbecile!" he berated himself. That was when he caught a glimpse of black and red on gold, shining in the darkness, a long ways away. It appeared as though an imp had found it and was currently gnawing at it with its jagged teeth.

"Hey! That's mine!" he yelled, catching the imp's attention and startling it. The imp was about to turn and fly away with the crown in its hand but in the blink of an eye, the owner of the crown was before him, striking him down and taking back what was rightfully his.

"Thank the Gods for teleportation. Now, where was I?" He said, placing the crown on his head and once again turning the palms of his hands and head up toward the sky. But this time, he faded away into the ether, becoming invisible.

"Oh good, you guys are alright". An out of breath Angel came into the foyer, addressing who he thought were Buffy and Xander. "It's total chaos out there".

Not Buffy and Xander both looked at the man before them with confused looks on their faces before responding simultaneously.

" _Who_ are _you_?"

Angel looked between the two of them, confused as ever.

"Ok, somebody wanna fill me in?"

Not Xander was the first to speak, "Do you live here?" He asked.

"No, you know that." Angel said and turned to Not Buffy.

"Buffy-" Angel reached for her, only to have her pull back from him a bit startled. "I'm lost here", he said, trying to wrap his head around the current situation. He turned back to Buffy and for the first time took in the site of her. "You… look really beautiful". He noticed how his words seemed to put her off to him. She threw him a glance that said, "get real", without so many words and walked back toward the kitchen.

Just then Cordelia made an appearance.

"They don't know who they are, everyone's turned into a monster, it's a whole big thing." She took in a breath and smiled at Angel, "How are you?" she asked.

Buffy didn't know what it was about the man she had just met, but something about him unsettled her. She approached the door at the back of the kitchen and opened it, enjoying the fresh air as it blanketed her.

She made her way though the small garden behind the house, taking in the sight of all the beautiful flowers. The entire garden had come to life, as though celebrating her presence. This time, flowers from surrounding bushels came up to entwine themselves in her crown. She smiled brightly as she brought her hands up to feel the flowers at had been left behind. Nature always seemed to know just what she liked, but that of course came as no surprise to her. After all, she was its child.

All the while, unbeknownst to her, there was a figure close by watching her every move.

He followed her scent throughout the town and it led him into a garden of sorts. He watched all the vegetation come alive in her presence and was in awe of how beautiful she looked… how _happy_ she looked. She was flawless- the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid his eyes upon, but when she smiled? By the _GODS_ , was she a vision!

And she would be his.

But he needed to get to her without the strangers who seemed to be occupying the house noticing him. Suddenly, as though the Gods had heard him, a vine began sprouting at his feet and he moved a step back from it. At its end was a single bud and just as it caught the eye of the woman before him, it began to bloom.

She walked over to it with an awed expression. Certainly, she had never seen _this_ flower before- there was no _way_ she could have. This was why she found it so intriguing.

When she reached the flower she knelt before it and cupped it between her two hands, taking in its appearance. It was white in color with six triangular petals. In the center of it was what appeared to be a smaller yellow flower, its tips tinged in orange, making it look as though it had been set on fire. She gasped at its beauty and spoke to it.

" _You_ I have never seen before. This world is full of wonders, indeed."

The flower had not moved since her arrival and it had not made an effort to free itself from the ground and gift itself to her. She was disappointed, of course, as she so badly wanted this flower, but she would never forcefully pluck a living thing from the earth. To do so would surely kill it, but when it was offered freely, it would live until the great mother saw fit.

As he watched her he felt himself begin to tremble with the anticipation of what he knew his next move would be and he knelt down right in front of her. She was still completely oblivious to his presence as he had yet to lift his cover of invisibility and he was thrilled at the fact that his plan would actually work.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he brought his hands up to her face and forcefully placed a kiss on her lips. He pulled back from her and took in the look of terror and confusion marring her pretty face.

She suddenly brought her hands up to frantically grasp at the arms she knew were there but could not see. She looked into the empty space before her, willing herself not to scream but still struggled all the while to free herself from the grasp of the unseen presence. She forced herself to regain her composure and brought her hands slowly to the face she knew was there. She forcefully cupped it in her hands, mirroring the actions of her unknown aggressor and looked to where she assumed his eyes would be.

"Show yourself", she whispered in an unsteady voice.

He hesitated as he stared back into her hazel eyes. Surely this would be the last time he would be able to see them this closely.

The last time she would allow him the pleasure.

The last time she would willingly touch him the way she was touching him now.

His grasp on her face tightened just a fraction and then he lifted the veil. Her eyes grew wide as she took in his identity.

"Hades!" she gasped.

"Persephone."

Just before she was able to scream he shut his eyes as tight as he could and brought her to him in a tight embrace. Then together they disappeared into nothingness.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

CHAPTER 4

Giles was leaning against the front counter in the library when Willow came walking into the room through the adjacent wall. She startled him so badly that he sent the card catalogues he'd been sifting through flying into the air.

"Hi." Willow said.

Giles was still too shocked to reply and as he struggled to regain his composure by placing his hands on his hips as non-chalantly as possible, he managed to utter a comical "Hehh..." in response.

Cordelia had just returned to the living room having looked for Not Buffy to no avail. Angel and Not Xander were currently looking out the window and talking amongst themselves, trying to come up with a solution to this Halloween fiasco.

"I think we should just stay put. Buffy isn't herself right now, and there's no way we can make it through tonight without the slayer. Our best plan of action is to just stay put and ride this out until Giles and Willow find a way to bring everyone back to normal". Angel said.

"Yea, great plan!" Cordelia sarcastically chimed in. "Just one little problem with your very carefully thought out strategy… Mother Nature is _missing_."

"What?!" Not Xander and Angel practically yelled at the same time. "Are you sure? Did you check…"

"I've checked everywhere!" Cordelia cut Angel off. Upstairs, the kitchen, the basement… I even checked the backyard and _nothing_."

"Oh God, we've gotta find her… before something else does." And just like that they hurried out into the chaos of the night, hoping they wouldn't be too late.

"I don't know what I'm looking for. Plus I can't turn the page." Willow whined over a textbook.

"All right, let's... let's review. " Giles removed his glasses and looked at a worried Willow. "So everybody became whatever they were masquerading as."

"Right. Xander was a soldier and Buffy was a Greek Goddess."

"Right. And your costume?" Giles questioned.

"I'm a ghost!" Willow said adamantly, as though from the attire she was sporting it should have been obvious.

"Yes, but um… the ghost of wh-what, exactly?" Giles stuttered.

"Well, this is nothing." Willow responded defensively, crossing her arms across her chest. "You should see what Cordelia was wearing. Uhh, a unitard with cat things, like ears and stuff."

This seemed to catch Giles by surprise.

"Good heavens. Sh-she became an actual feline?"

Willow took a moment to think about the meaning behind the answer to his question and wondered how she had failed to notice before.

"No. She was the same old Cordelia. Just, in a cat costume."

"She didn't change?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"No." Willow began putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her head. "Hold on. Party Town. Sh-she told us she got her outfit from Party Town!"

"And everybody who changed, they acquired their costumes where?" Giles asked.

"We all got ours at a new place- _Ethan's._ "

At this revelation Giles was pulled into a state of disbelief.

"Good Heavens, Willow. Can you take me to this shop?"

She looked over Giles questioningly. "Yea… sure. Its just a few blocks from here, we can make it there in 10 minutes if we walk fast."

"Very well", Giles said as he put his glasses back on and began turning out the lights in the library. "Lead the way."

As they made their way down the street, Not Xander, Angel and Cordelia came running up to them.

"Willow", Angel spoke first, "have you seen Buffy?"

Willow's eyes widened in panic. "You lost Buffy?!"

Cordelia cut in. "We didn't lose her! She just, misplaced herself. We were all standing in the living room and suddenly she was just nowhere. I checked the entire house and the backyard since she seemed to be all 'one-with-the-earth' all of a sudden, but she wasn't there either."

"Ok, well go keep looking! I'm taking Giles back the store we all got our costumes from. We might be on to something. If we figure this out soon enough and break this spell, she'll probably find us before we find her. Cover as much ground as you can but stick together, we don't want to lose anyone else." They all nodded and went their separate ways.

Giles and Willow finally reached the shop not long after and went inside.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Giles called out, but there was no answer.

"Giles?" Willow called out as she slowly made her way to the same back door they'd previously been through the day they bought their costumes- it was the room in which they'd found Buffy's dress. In the center of the room was a small round table and upon it was a marble statue head with glowing green eyes.

"Janus. A Roman mythical god."

"What does this mean?" Willow asked.

"Primarily the division of self." Giles answered, but his attention seemed to be on scanning the room for the presence of anyone else that may be occupying the shop as well. "Male and female… light and dark."

"Chunky and creamy!" A voice called out as the man it came from entered the room. Willow identified him as the shop owner instantly. "Oh, no. Sorry… that's peanut butter." The man finished with a smile.

"Willow get out of here now", Giles said, in the strictest tone she had yet to hear come from him.

"But-" confused, Willow attempted to protest but was cut off by Giles' shout of insistence.

"Now!"

Willow, startled by his sudden change in tone, gave a little jump and hurriedly made her way out of the shop to find her friends.

Hades and Persephone suddenly appeared in a place far from the small garden in which they had just been. They were still kneeling on the ground and Persephone had yet to falter in her efforts to break free of his grasp. Knowing that she would no longer be able to get away from him now, he allowed her to push him away.

Falling back onto the ground he watched her as she frantically stood up, taking in her surroundings. She looked around at the expansive hallway they were in, noticing the rows of large marble pillars that looked like they'd been set on fire. As a matter of fact, everything around her looked as though it had been coated in a thin layer of ash and it finally occurred to her where she was.

She opened her mouth, allowing her screams of terror to pierce the air and Hades watched the entire spectacle from his spot on the floor. She looked in all directions as though trying to find one in which she could run, but to no avail.

All that surrounded her was barren wasteland, as far as the eye could see.

'No, no, no!' her mind screamed. She managed to reign herself in long enough to address her captor.

"Hades! How dare you take me against my own free will?! And why have you brought me here?! Return me to my home at once!"

He stood from the ground and looked at her with a smirk.

"Well, which question should I answer first, my darling?"

She was not at all humored by his retort and knew he would be difficult to convince. She forced her face to soften a bit and she regarded him with a pleading look.

"Hades, I wish to go home."

His face fell. "I'm afraid I cannot grant your wish."

"Hades, I don't belong here! You see that, don't you? Why can you not return me home?"

"Because you are home", he said. "Persephone, this is your home now. Here… with me."

She looked at him as though he had sprouted another head. "Hades, the humor of this spectacle you've made is lost to me. I demand you return me home at once lest my mother become aware of my absence!"

She paused and just before Hades could respond she spoke again.

"And choose your next words wisely, Hades. Do not forget that I am favored among the Gods, and while you are one, there are many others that will not rest until I am returned to where I belong."

Hades expression softened a bit and he regarded her with hopeful eyes. "I know this, Persephone, but you _are_ where you belong. And the Gods themselves know this. They know because it was they who gifted you to me. I am to take you as my wife and you will stay here with me for all eternity."

Persephone couldn't help but laugh at his absurd declaration. "Wife?" she asked through a fit of giggles. "I am to be your _wife_?" The laughter was wracking her body now and she watched as the expression on Hades' face morphed into anger.

"And what, you expect us to reside _here_? Make this our _oh_ -so humble abode where our children will frolic and leap among the ash of broken cities and the bones of long dead men?"

Her laugher soon began to border hysteria as she continued in her sarcastic belittling of his declaration.

"And the God's… they know I am here? They know you've taken me and you claim they offered you my life _freely_?"

He watched her as she continued to laugh uncontrollably and just as he felt his anger begin to boil over, he noticed a change in sounds she was making. Her laughter had begun to morph into something he couldn't quite place. He observed her curiously as she held one hand to her stomach and the other to her mouth, trying to control the sounds that had begun to escape.

Sobs… her laughter had turned to sobs- uncontrollable, _heart wrenching_ sobs. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell to the floor on her knees. She buried her face in her hands and continued to cry quieter than he ever thought anyone could be capable of.

Finally, Persephone understood the gravity of the situation she found herself in. The look on his face said it all- this was no cruel joke. This was her reality, her new _reality_. In her time she had heard countless stories of women being betrothed to Gods and men by force in return for peace from war or a bountiful harvest or as simple almsgiving with the prospect of wining the favor of their most worshipped God, but she never thought it would happen to her.

She loved the earth too much to survive in a place such as this one at the side of a God such as Hades. But soon she would be the wife of the most feared God in existence and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. And if what he said was indeed true, there was no one trying to prevent it either.

It was suddenly very clear to her that she had been destined to misfortune. The life long façade of importance to the earth she'd so whole-heartedly loved had now fallen to reveal her life as nothing more than an ill-fated piece of entertainment.

And so, she stayed there on the ash-laden floor with her head in her hands and wept.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 5

"Hello, Ethan." Giles said, less than pleased to see the man standing before him.

"Hello, Ripper." Ethan smiled. "What? No hug? Aren't you pleased to see your old mate?"

Giles began walking through the room. His steps were light, but his eyes were heavy with intent. Intent to seriously injure the man with whom he now shared the same air. A man he hadn't seen in what felt like ages, but even then it just hadn't been long enough. Giles could have gone the rest of his life without ever laying eyes upon _Ethan_ ever again, but as fate would have it, this was not the case.

"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you. This Halloween stunt _stinks_ of Ethan Rayne."

"Yes it does, doesn't it? I don't wish to blow my own trumpet, but it's genius. The very embodiment of ' _be careful what you wish for'_."

"Its sick… brutal." Giles said, calm as still waters. "And it harms the innocent."

"Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocence and all things good an pure, Rupert. Its quite a little act you've got going here, old man."

"It's no act, it's who I am."

"Who you are? The Watcher? The sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of."

A devious smile spread across his face after taking in the very obvious anger Giles was now finding hard to conceal.

"But they don't, do they? They have no _idea_ where you come from."

"Break the spell, Ethan." Giles demanded, as he took 3 menacing steps toward him, stopping just within arms reach of Ethan. "Then leave this place and never come back."

"Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?" Ethan questioned, like a petulant child.

"You get to live." Giles responded in a tone that would have chilled Ethan to the bone if he hadn't known just how soft Rupert had really gone.

"Oh Rupert", Ethan mocked. "You're scaring…umph!"

Before Ethan had a chance to finish his sarcastic remark, Giles punched him right in gut, and just as he doubled over in pain, Giles followed up with a hard knee to Ethan's face.

Ethan fell to the floor, struggling to catch his breath- so much for going soft.

"And you said the Ripper was long gone", Ethan rasped.

"Tell me how to break the spell."

"Say 'pretty please'", Ethan teased.

But Giles was not amused and he showed it by kicking Ethan right in the back, causing him to cry out. Giles continued to kick at Ethan, always asking him how to break the spell and delivering blow after blow when he failed to provide him with the answer he sought until finally, Ethan caved.

"Tell me how to break the spell", Giles repeated for the umpteenth time.

"Janus", Ethan ground out through clenched teeth. "Break the statue".

At Ethan's revelation, Giles quickly grabbed the Grecian effigy and raised it over his head before shattering it against the ground. When he turned around to address Ethan once more, he was met with empty space in the spot on the floor where his captive had previously lain.

Angel, Cordelia and Not Xander made their way down the chaos-ridden street searching for Buffy. Angel was trying to track her by her scent but it appeared as though his attempts had been futile.

"You sure she came this way?" Not Xander asked.

"No", he responded curtly, clearly frustrated with himself and his inability to find her, not to mention the overwhelming feeling of guilt for having lost her in the first place. He should have kept an eye on her. She was clearly under a spell and the way she behaved toward him when he met her in her home should not have upset him. She wasn't herself, and he let his feelings get in the way of protecting her. If something happened to her tonight, he would never forgive himself.

"She'll be okay", Cordelia said in an attempt to soothe him with her words.

" _Buffy_ would be ok. Whoever she is now, she's helpless."

"Oh I'm not so sure about that. All she's gotta do is come across a couple of thorn bushes, maybe a couple of cactus plants, and she'd be well on her way to having her own mini greenhouse arsenal", Not Xander joked.

Angel however, found his comment far from amusing. He grabbed not Xander by his shirt and threateningly brought his face closer to his before practically growling back.

"You think this is a joke? Any number of things out here tonight could have gotten to her by now and we'd be none the wiser".

Not Xander came even closer to him and replied in the same tone of voice.

"I cant seem to remember anything tonight, but I get the distinct feeling that I really just don't like you", Not Xander said as he brought his arms up between Angels and forced his hands out, suddenly breaking free of Angel's grasp and abruptly pushing him back.

"WO THERE, GUYS!" Cordelia shouted. "Fighting isn't going to help us find Buffy any faster! Obviously!"

"Don't worry cat lady, this wont take long". Not Xander said, and before Angel or Cordelia had time to react, Not Xander brought his fist up and let it collide with Angel's face. _Hard._

Angel's head reared back and before he had a chance to fully register what had just happened, he felt another punch to his ribs. If he'd needed to take a breath, it would have been knocked right out of him. Pulling himself together, Angel blocked Not Xanders next move and countered it with three consecutive punches- two to Not Xander's ribs and one to his jaw.

Cordelia was _screaming_ now. She was hysterical, trying to break the two men apart without getting in the middle of their violent display.

Willow wasn't too far away when she heard Cordelia's cries for help. When she turned the corner and saw the fight, she broke out into a full sprint toward them. Her shouts of protest rang in with Cordelia's but they fell on deaf ears.

Not Xander had barely lost his balance after Angel's attack before regaining his leverage and running at Angel full force, effectively tackling him onto the hood of a nearby truck. Before Angel had a chance to retaliate, Not Xander grabbed him by the legs and dragged him off the truck, letting him fall onto the asphalt.

Angel felt a searing pain shoot up his back and he couldn't help but vamp out. At the sight of Angel in full bumpies, Cordelia's screams of protest turned into howls of terror. Before this moment, she thought Buffy and Willow had only been teasing her about Angel being a vampire but now she knew they had been telling the truth.

Not Xander turned to look at Cordelia at the sound of her pure, unadulterated screams of terror. He followed her eyes back to the cause of her distress to meet Angel's angry yellow ones.

'VAMPIRE!' Not Xander's mind shouted at him.

Just as Angel stood from the ground Not Xander grabbed for his gun and reeled around just in time to keep Angel from landing his next punch, and pointed the barrel right between his eyes.

"XANDER NO!" Willow cried.

"Something tells me that _you_ , I _can_ shoot." Not Xander spat.

Angel stood looking down the barrel of Not Xander's gun. No, he knew a bullet to the head wouldn't kill him, but he wasn't exactly interested in finding out what it could do to his mental capacity. Angel slowly raised his hands in surrender as he stared at Not Xander down the barrel of his gun.

Willow and Cordelia had since quieted down and despairingly awaited what would happen next, but just as Not Xander threateningly nudged Angel with his gun to even further intimidate him, an eerie wind blew by.

Suddenly, Xander found himself holding a toy gun to Angels forehead. He pulled back and looked at the piece of plastic in his hand more confused than he'd ever been.

"What the…"

An entire world away, a distressed Hades had just approached a weeping, distraught Persephone in an attempt to comfort her. Just as he brought his hand up to run it through her luscious, golden locks of hair, a cold wind blew by and a deafening howl sounded throughout the land. Persephone's sobs died down and she slowly lifted her head from her hands and let her eyes meet those of the man before her.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 6

Her eyes were angry and full of hatred. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could utter a word…

 _SLAP!_

She slapped him and hard. In that instant he felt the sting of her rejection both physically and emotionally.

"I…" he attempted to speak again, but again she shut him up with a slap across the other side of his face. He quickly turned to face her. Nostrils flared and teeth barred in anger, he grabbed her by the bicep and forced her to her feet.

"Let go of me, Hades!" she brought her arm into herself, successfully managing to break free of his grasp and she backed away two steps.

"You know, I rather think not", he said, quickly grabbing her arm again, harder this time. She fought back, trying to shove him away to no avail. He began walking down the vast hallway, dragging her along beside him.

"You're hurting me Hades, let me go!"

"And I should be concerned with this why? Not a minute ago you slapped me… twice! I'd say you got the better deal!"

In that moment, Persephone extended her foot into his path, effectively causing him to stumble and he loosened his grip on her arm, allowing her to break free. She wanted to turn to run but knew she had to set more distance between the two of them if she stood any chance at getting away, so she took advantage of his very brief loss of balance to push him to the floor.

Persephone then hurriedly turned and took off running in the other direction, weaving in and out of the rows of marble pillars. Where would she go? Staying outside would make her whereabouts far to clear, as the land seemed to be a vast expanse of nothing. She stood a better chance at hiding until she could formulate a plan to get home. Find a way to send a message to her mother through the earth. Her mother would certainly raise hell and high water to find her.

The irony of that wasn't at all lost to Persephone, even in her moment of haste, because if her mother could actually manage to raise hell, well then she'd find her in an instant.

"Persephone!" Hades' voice boomed through the space and seemed to reverberate off of every surface, making him sound as though he were all around her. A doorway came into view not too far from her and she ran toward it. Maybe she was going into the lion's den, but at least she stood a better chance at getting away from Hades by finding cover than she did out here. These pillars could only do so much for her.

Just as she came upon the door, however, she felt strong hands pull her back.

"No!" she screamed, as she caught a glimpse of Hades. And boy, was he mad. He grabbed hold of her arm again and began dragging her into the house.

"Stop fighting me, Persephone! My patience is wearing thin and I will knock you out cold if I have to!"

"UGH!" she screamed in frustration and pulled out of his grasp with such force that she went stumbling back onto the ground.

Hades paused for a moment and looked at her as she sat there on the floor, looking up at him with terrified eyes. She was scared, scared of _him._ He felt himself soften at this and he took a deep breath in through flared nostrils just as he pursed his lips and looked up toward the ceiling, just as a parent would when praying for patience to handle a difficult child.

When he looked back at Persephone she hadn't moved form her spot on the ground and her face had not yet changed. She was still very, very afraid. Afraid of what his next move would be… she certainly expected him to hurt her and he felt the overwhelming need to reassure her that such was not his intention.

He took one step toward her and slightly bent at the waist to extend his arm out to help her up when her left arm shot out in front of her and she swatted at the vine on her bicep with her other hand, shooting it toward him. His reflexes were quick and he dodged out of its path just before it made contact with him. Just as he turned his surprised eyes back to the woman before him, she had extended out her right arm and the vine wrapped around her hand also shot forth, but this one managed to wrap around his throat in a crushing vice.

His eyes widened in shock as he felt his airway being blocked and he dropped to his knees. He was now practically at eye level with Persephone and he could see the look of anger on her face… and by the GODS was she still gorgeous. She _glowed_ , even. He then noticed that her arm was still extended out toward him, her hand contorted in a way that would suggest that she had it wrapped around his throat and was squeezing the breath from him herself.

 _'She's controlling this damn vine!'_ , he thought. His fingers pulled at the piece of vegetation clinging to his throat but could not get free of it. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, almost deafening, and as he managed another look at Persephone he couldn't help but think about how adorable she looked- with her nose scrunched up and her brows knitted together in aggression. Then suddenly, the entire room turned a dark shade of orange and black spots began swimming in and out of his vision.

 _'_ Well, _fuck'_ , he thought, and then the whole world went black.

Persephone watched as Hades' face turned a bright shade of red. He had yet to stop struggling with the vine wrapped around his throat and she feared that he would find a way to free himself. If he did he would surely come after her again. If this was the best way to subdue him until she found a way out of this situation, so be it.

As she watched him from her spot on the floor, many thoughts began cluttering her mind. First and foremost, he was strikingly handsome. His cheekbones were high on his face and his jawline was strong. His skin was so pale it reminded her of porcelain, and he was lean… _very_ lean. She could see all of the muscles in his body straining against the weapon she was currently using against him and against her own volition, she found herself admiring every plane and hard curve of his body.

'Why in the world are you thinking about this _now_?' Her mind screamed at her.

She looked up at his face once more, just in time to see his eyes roll to the back of his head and his arms fall to his sides. An instant later, he fell to the floor on his back, completely lax. Persephone's brows furrowed in confusion and she couldn't help but wonder why.

Of course, in that same moment she saw her still outstretched hand and reality came crashing down on her. She'd been so consumed by her thoughts of him and his appearance that she'd completely forgotten about his need to breathe! She had only intended to subdue him momentarily, but in her panic she had failed to think about the fact that even gods needed air to survive!

And she was still in so much shock that she hadn't even loosed the grip she had on him. She quickly released her control of the vine and stood. Hundreds of thoughts began filling her mind in that moment and she was torn between all of them.

Her first instinct was to turn and keep running before someone or something else found her. She needed to get back home and if she could manage to find a way to send a message to her mother then that was the best way of ensuring it. All of the earth was connected, no matter where you were, certainly these rules applied even here in the underworld so contacting her mother shouldn't be too much of an issue, she hoped. There was vegetation here… albeit not the prettiest or most flourishing kind, but it was vegetation nonetheless. And where there was life, there was hope.

But even above her desire to run, she was frozen to the spot, staring at Hades' as he lay on the floor unmoving.

'Unmoving', she thought. ' _LIFELESS!'_

Her eyes widened in terrified shock and she sprang to his side.

"Hades?", she spoke, trying to see if he would rouse but he didn't answer.

"Hades?" she said again and shook him. Still, no reaction.

She outstretched a shaking hand toward him and allowed it to hover over his barely parted lips. Focusing on her hand for a moment, she tried to feel his breath against her fingers, but there was nothing. She then reluctantly placed her hand against his chest, right above his heart but could not feel it beating.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no", she chanted. Finally, she pressed her ear against the same spot on his chest where her hand had just been in an attempt to hear even the softest pitter-patter that would indicate she hadn't just slain a man, but there was nothing there either.

She suddenly pulled her head back from Hades as though he had burned her and looked down at his lifeless body. Her eyes swelled with tears, unable to tear them away from him.

"Oh my!" She cried. "What have I done?! I killed you! I killed a _god_!"

All too suddenly Hades' back arched up off the ground and he gasped for air. Persephone remained frozen to the spot and watched on in shock as he quickly regained consciousness. He then sat up and grabbed her by the shoulders and shaking her violently.

"Silly girl, you can't kill a god", he chided. Then he pulled her onto his lap, her back against his chest. She was so taken back by his sudden recovery that she didn't even have time to fight back before she felt him bring one of his arms up to curl around her throat.

"Sorry baby, wish there was another way. But I've had just about enough of this for one night. Not to mention that you've made me very late for work".

He felt her swatting against his arms in an attempt to have him release her and he felt a small twinge of guilt for everything that had transpired between them in the last hour. A moment later she went limp in his arms and he finally relaxed. He then repositioned her to comfortably wrap one arm under her knees and the other one around support her back and stood to his feet while carrying her.

Just then he heard another howl far out in the distance.

"Yea, yea... I'm coming", he muttered under his breath. Then her turned around and walked further into his palace with his soon to be queen sleeping in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 7

"It's been almost two days. Two whole days!" Xander yelled, "And we have no idea where to find her!"

Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Angel and Giles were all huddled in the library looking through ancient books as they so often did when another demonic entity threatened their world, attempting to find more information about the spell Ethan had cast on Halloween. Buffy never found them after the spell was broken and come 7 o'clock in the evening, it will have been two days since they last saw their friend.

"Well freaking out about doesn't get us any closer to finding her", Cordelia added.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the brunette.

" _Wha_ t?! Why does everyone always look at me like I'm _so_ insensitive? It's the truth! Losing our heads about this whole Buffy thing isn't going to help us find her any faster! And since Giles said another slayer hasn't been called yet that means she's still alive somewhere!"

"Alive, but for how long?" Angel spoke, almost to himself.

"Sh-she could be hurt. Waiting for us to come find her." Willows eyes opened wide and she looked to Giles with tears in her eyes, "What if we find her too late?" she asked, choking back a sob.

Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"As surprised as I am to say it, Cordelia is right. Panicking over where Buffy may or may not be will not clue us into her whereabouts any more than it already has. Our best option is to continue researching as much about Janus and that spell Ethan cast as we can and pray it leads us to Buffy."

"What about her mom? If we don't find Buffy soon what are we going to tell Joyce?" Willow questioned.

Giles looked at Willow at a loss for words. Would he have to deliver bad news to his charge's mother? Usually parents knew of a slayer's calling and placed their daughter under the care of their watcher for the remainder of their life, but Buffy's history in telling her parents was… complicated- to say the least.

He'd heard through the watcher's council that her parents had institutionalized her sometime after her calling. Word of a scheme to break her free of the facility and bring her to London for conditioning had reached him not long after the incident. The watcher's council, and the world really, could not afford to have the chosen one barred between padded walls over ideas the general population could not even begin to fathom.

Giles was also very aware that even though he had not yet heard of another slayer being called, it did not mean it had yet to occur. Sometimes it could take weeks to locate the new slayer if one who had not yet been identified as a potential was called. It was very possible that it was only a matter of time before he received dreadful news, and every time the phone rang, his heart admittedly sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

"We have until Sunday night when Joyce returns from her conference in Los Angeles. I will think of what to tell her by then."

Xander stood, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. "Well I'm going out to look for her."

"I've already looked everywhere, Xander. She's not out there." Angel said.

"Well I have to try! Anything could have gotten to her on Halloween! Have you forgotten how many demons and vamp…" Xander cut himself off, lost in thought.

Angel looked back up at him with wide eyes and it was as though they'd read each other's minds.

" _Spike_ ", they both said in unison and Angel shot up out of his chair.

"Oh my God", said Willow, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"Dear Lord, why hadn't I thought of this before?" Giles said aloud.

"He could have her chained up right now, torturing her!" Xander cried.

"Go! Go find Spike!" Willow yelled at Xander and Angel in a hurry. "We-we'll stay here, a-and keep researching. P-Please let us know if you find her as soon as you can!"

Angel and Xander were already out the door.

Persephone slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Mind still cloudy from sleep it took her a moment to remember where she was… why she was where she was.

She bolted right up off the bed and made a break for the door.

Locked.

She looked around for something that would help her break through the door for just a moment before coming to the realization that regardless of what she found, there was no way she'd get out of that room unless someone opened the door from the outside. She felt her chest begin to tighten and the air in the room seemed to escape.

She was panicking again.

"Stop it, Persephone", she told herself. "You're not a child! Crying wont fix anything!"

She was suddenly filled with a new feeling… _rage_.

She'd never felt so angry in her life. She'd also never been locked up against her own free will and forced into a life she hadn't chosen for herself. She wanted her life back, and she'd be damned if she didn't at least try to make it home… literally.

"Hades!" she banged on the door, screaming for her captor. "Hades, let me out!"

Hades sat in one of the many chambers of his palace, listening to Persephone's cries echo throughout the halls. A sly smile graced his face as he watched his three Furies enjoying themselves on the bed before him bed. They were all so beautiful and he'd had the _immense_ pleasure of enjoying each of them, oftentimes all at once, but today- and as he lately did on most days- he just sat back and watched.

"Would you please just go and see what she wants? Her screams are loud enough to wake the dead", one of the goddesses told him.

"How humorous of you, Megaera", another one of the Furies named Alecto spoke, not once relenting in her efforts to bring her other surrogate sister, Tisiphone, pleasure. "But I agree, your prisoner is beginning to give me a headache."

"Why don't you bring her here? We can all play together," Tisiphone spoke the words through bated breath, her head hanging from the edge of the bed, watching Hades through lust filled eyes. "Or at least you come join us… ahhh", she moaned.

Megaera had since joined Alecto in her pleasuring of Tisiphone. Hades watched them all as they moved on the bed, writhing in pleasure, moaning, reaching out to him in silent invitation. But he had since replaced their faces with Persephone's, imagining himself surrounded by _three_ of her and pretending the angry screams echoing in his ears were actually her cries of pleasure.

That it was Persephone, calling his name over and over again as he brought her over the precipice of orgasm.

He watched Tisiphone as she squeezed her eyes shut, mouth open in bliss as she moaned his name. He saw all of the muscles in her body tighten before suddenly relaxing, sending her into a fit of convulsions.

Tisiphone was admittedly his favorite. Her hair was the color of gold and fell around her shoulders in waves Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green and her lips were full and round and looked like… like _Persephone's._

In reality they had completely different personalities and mannerisms, but they had enough physical similarities for him to think of Persephone every time he looked at her. Not to mention they had very similar names.

Ever since Hades laid eyes on Persephone he hadn't been able to look at Tisiphone without thinking of the woman he wanted to make his own… make his _wife_. His infatuation grew and grew and the stronger his obsession became, the less he was able to touch any of the goddesses before him, but especially not Tisiphone.

Hades broke himself from his reverie and stood from his chair.

"Carry on, ladies", he said. And with that he was gone.

Persephone grew tired of calling out for Hades and she had beaten her fists raw against the door. She turned around and rested her back against the adjacent wall, throwing her head back to bang against it and slowly slid down to the floor in defeat.

Suddenly, Hades appeared out of thin air, startling her. His chest was bare with his only garment riding low on his hips and he was holding a platter of fruit.

Her eyes slowly roamed over his body, appreciatively taking in every dip and curve of his masculine form. She had never seen a man in such an indecent state. He took a few steps toward her and she observed as every muscle in his body rippled in response.

Hades watched Persephone as her eyes scanned his body and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

'She's admiring me', he thought. Taking advantage of her momentary preoccupation, he kneeled before her and spoke.

"You called", he said in a sultry tone.

She looked up at the smile on his face and knew she'd been caught staring. Her face instantly flushed with embarrassment and she turned away from him.

"What do you intend by keeping me locked in this room? I thought I was to be your wife, not your prisoner."

"Overly eager, are we?" He said turning his head to the side and moving his hand out to brush a strand of hair that had fallen out of place from her face.

She swatted his hand away before he could touch her and she stood.

"I'm not interested in either but you can't keep me locked in this chamber like an animal", she spat.

Hades let out a deep breath and stood as well.

"If I let you come outside do you promise to behave?" He questioned.

He saw a glimmer of deceit cross her face before she pathetically attempted to suppress it, but she didn't bother hiding her intention, knowing she would not be able to fool him.

"I didn't think so." Hades said, resting the platter of fruit on a nearby table. "You should eat something."

And then he vanished, leaving her alone to wallow in self-pity.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 8

"Can we meet her?" Alecto asked Hades as Tisiphone and Megaera looked on in anticipation of what his answer would be.

Hades was sitting on his throne centered in the megaron, behind the large two columned porch that wrapped around his palace, overlooking the vast land and rivers that lay beyond it. When he heard Alecto speak, he turned around to look at the three goddesses huddled in the corner of his great room, an eyebrow raised in response.

"What?" Tisiphone asked. "It's been weeks! She must feel terribly alone!"

"Not to mention our curiosity is killing us! Metaphorically speaking, of course", Megaera added.

"She must be awful beautiful for you to have whisked her away in the manner that you did, Hades." Alecto spoke again.

This seemed to catch Hades' attention. Pointing his finger at the girls he looked each of them in the eyes, a stern expression on his face and spoke.

"She is _not_ to be _touched_ ", Hades commanded, "Have I been clear?"

Their giggles rang through the large room.

"Well that answers our next question! She is certainly a virgin!" Megaera said, addressing her sisters.

"HAVE. I. BEEN. CLEAR?" he repeated, punctuating every word.

"Crystal!" The three rang out in unison.

Hades rolled his eyes and stood from his chair, brushing past them as he walked out of the room.

"I'll go speak to her first."

"Good luck!" Megaera called after him and Tisiphone nudged her with an elbow to get her to stop taunting him.

"What?!" She said, looking back at Tisiphone with a mock expression on her face. "He's going to need it." They all broke out into joyous laughter as they watched him make his way out of the room and down the hall to the room where Persephone was being held.

Persephone was sitting on the ledge of her window, overlooking the land. She could see two rivers far off in the distance, light rays bouncing off the ripples caused by the lightly blowing breeze.

She hadn't seen any trees here, no flowers either, but at least there was water. Water and sunshine. Of course there seemed to be a very clear absence of the actual sun, but there was still sunshine somehow and that was enough for her. At night she could see the moon, shining through the narrowly spaced columns she now looked through and the number of stars in the sky was astounding.

She was pulled from her thoughts when a knock sounded at the door.

"Persephone?"

Persephone glanced at the door for a brief moment before turning back to stare out the window.

"Persephone… can I come in?" He questioned.

She remained silent, just looking out at the world before her and dreaming of being any place other than there.

Hades gently pushed the door open and spotted Persephone sitting across the room on her windowsill.

"Why bother asking for permission to enter if you intend to come in of your own accord?" she asked him, never once looking his way.

Hades opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words, letting out a deep breath he'd only just then realized he'd been holding. Until he'd met Persephone there were a number of feelings he had yet to experience. Love being the one that stood out the most in his mind, closely followed by affection, yearning and _passion_.

But among those were others he felt more and more with each passing day; with every day Persephone closed herself off from him more than previous; like affliction, melancholy, remorse- and right now? **Shame**. He was the reason the goddess before him was in the depressed state she was in now. He hadn't seen her smile since the night he'd taken her and he was beginning to think he would never bear witness to it again.

He looked over at, yet again, another platter of various fruits and other foods that had yet to be untouched by her. She was starving herself!

"You haven't eaten in days, Persephone." He said.

It was as though he hadn't even spoken. Persephone remained with her attention on the riveted outside.

"You should eat something or you'll fall ill."

Still, he inspired no reaction from her and he was almost intimidated by her indifference in that moment.

Almost, but not quite.

Taking a deep breath, Hades stepped forward until he was standing right next to her. Again, she remained unphased by his presence and again he watched as she stared out the window. Her eyes seemed glazed over and it was very clear that even though her body was here in the same room as him, her mind and spirit were very mush elsewhere.

"Would you like to go outside?" he asked.

At this, Persephone turned her attention to him and stared, a confused look on her face.

"I'll accompany you of course, but its better than being locked in here all day. Well not really locked, I guess. The door hasn't been locked for 3 days now but…"

Hades cut himself off when he saw the look of revulsion slowly creeping up on her face. He took another breath in and let it out, preparing himself to speak again.

"Let me try that again. I think accompanying me outside would really do you some good."

Persephone didn't trust him, not one little bit and she let that show on her face. She moved to swing her legs off the ledge to come down from the windowsill when her foot caught in her dress and she went tumbling forward.

Hades instantly shot his arms out to catch her before she could hit the floor and when his arms wrapped around her, he couldn't help but realize just how perfectly she fit in them… fit with him.

Persephone let out a small gasp of surprise.

"Are you alright?" Hades asked, setting her down on the floor just as she pushed out of his hold.

"I'm fine. My foot caught is all. I didn't need your help."

Hades simply responded by raising an eyebrow, indicating his disbelief.

Persephone pointed her chin up at him in an attempt to show him that what she said was true and walked past him.

"Let's go", she said.

Hades couldn't help but smirk at her change in attitude.

"Under one condition, Persephone."

Persephone swung around in disbelief, shooting Hades an angry glare.

"You must eat something first."

Persephone looked at the platter of fruits and back at Hades before walking over to it and inspecting its contents. Hades watched her intently as she looked over all of her options, silently hoping she would select the round reddish fruit that had been carefully sliced into sections. Her hand came forward to brush against the fruit in question only to pull a grape off the cluster available an pop it into her mouth.

"There", she said, looking at Hades as though to challenge him, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

Hades inwardly smiled but refused to let it surface. He stared back at her with a look that said 'nice try', before crossing his own arms over his chest, mirroring her gesture.

They stared at each other for a brief moment before Persephone gave in. Rolling her eyes she turned back around and grabbed the entire cluster of grapes, letting out a huff of annoyance.

"Come on", she said, walking out through the door, Hades close behind her.

Persephone made her way to the palace entrance, Hades following very close behind. When she stepped outside a warm breeze blew by and she savored the way it felt, traveling across her flesh, leaving goose bumps as it went.

Hades took one look at her and felt his heart drop into his stomach. Why did this woman have such an effect on him?

"I'd like to show you something", Hades told her.

Persephone turned and eyed him suspiciously as he extended his hand out for her to take. She looked down to his hand and back up at his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Come now, I'll show you", he said as he reached out to grab her hand in his. She abruptly pulled it out his grasp and took a step back.

"I don't need to be led like a child. I can follow you myself."

Hades looked down at the ground in an attempt to hide the smirk slowly creeping onto his face. This woman was so stubborn and he _loved_ it.

"Ok, well, then you have to finish your grapes before I show you."

Persephone's jaw dropped and eyebrows drew together in shock.

"I couldn't possibly finish all of these grapes…" she cut herself off when she saw his sly look, hand extended out to her again.

"You can eat them on the way…"

Persephone rolled her eyes and abrasively grabbed his hand, trotting alongside him with an angry look on her face. Hades of course couldn't help but think how adorable she looked with her face all scrunched up and her bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

And how bad did he want to bite that lip!

Hades led her down the side of the palace and just as they rounded the corner, Persephone stopped dead in her tracks and let out an audible gasp of surprise.

A cypress tree stood alone in the middle of a vast clearing. She quickly turned her head to look at Hades, excitement and shock etched onto every square inch of her face, and then she turned back to look at the tree.

Hades smile spread from ear to ear as he watched her seemingly unsure of what to do with herself.

"Go on then", he said, gesturing toward the tree.

Persephone smiled wide and took off in a sprint. Just as she approached it, the tree came to life- its branches extending out to welcome her into what looked like an embrace. Persephone placed her left hand against it, feeling its bark beneath her palm before allowing herself to rest against it. She was so overwhelmed in that moment that she couldn't help the tears from falling down her face.

She was feeling so many emotions in that moment but the three that made the top of her list were anger, grief and gratitude.

Anger that Hades would take her from every thing she knew and bring her to a place so far from home and the world she loved so much. Grief at the thought of every god she'd ever loved and worshipped conspiring against her to decide for her such an ill fate.

And gratitude.

Gratitude to Hades for such a kind gesture, because while it far from pardoned his misdeed, it provided her with immense relief. It was so great to finally see something familiar.

To see something she loved.

"How?" she whispered her question.

Hades cleared his throat before speaking.

"Th-They're native here. Them and a few other flowers and shrubs… fruits too." Hades looked at the ground beneath him and pointed at it. "A-And this patch of land, well… I-I called in a favor. Its uh, been fertilized, in a sense. You can grow your favorites from home a-and they'll thrive… here. You can make this into your garden… if you'd like." Hades caught himself rambling and stopped.

"Persephone I know this isn't easy for you. And I'm sorry because I know that right now you're unhappy with me… here. But I hope that with time you can grow to… you can see that I really do…."

"Thank you", she whispered, cutting him off and turning back to look at him with tear filled eyes.

Hades couldn't help but be surprised when he noticed she was crying, but especially at her words. She had _thanked_ him. Hades had never felt so low in all of his existence. He had torn the woman before him from everything she knew and loved and here she was thanking him for such a small gesture, as though he had never wronged her.

Hades gave her a weak smile and suppressing his urge to engulf her in a warm embrace, he slowly stepped backed away from her and gave her a small nod of his head.

"I'll leave you to it then".


	9. Chapter 9

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

"Wait!" Persephone called out to Hades as he turned to leave. Will you be filling it with seed?"

Hades was momentarily surprised and confused by Persephone's question and had to clear his throat before speaking.

"Um, I'm sorry, what did you ask?"

"The ground, will you be filling it with seed? For the plants?" she clarified.

Hades' eyes went wide with realization and mentally berated himself for letting his mind wander.

"Oh! No! I don't have seed."

Persephone's brows furrowed together in confusion and Hades realized he hadn't explained himself.

"Oh! Yes! Well no I don't have seed… the seed. THAT seed…"

Persephone watched Hades as he worked to form a coherent sentence and couldn't help but find him amusing. He was flustered for some reason. Did she make him nervous?

"See, you simply wish it be", he explained. "The land, as I said, is enchanted. Anything you wish to have in your garden will sprout forth simply by you wishing it so."

"Oh…" Persephone replied, looking down at the ground and lifting up her feet to see if she had stepped on anything she may have unintentionally brought into existence.

"Maybe we shouldn't stand on the ground when they are growing! Maybe we'll crush them before they have a chance to sprout!" Persephone looked at Hades with wide concerned eyes.

Hades looked around, contemplating where they could stand as to keep themselves from involuntarily harming a plant. "Ah, here!" He said pointing up at the tree. In just a few swift movement Hades had strode over to the tree and climbed atop it, sitting easily on one of its branches.

"Here", he said extending his hand down to Persephone, "take my hand."

Persephone cautiously stepped forward and extended her hand out to Hades. When she'd come close enough to reach him, he quickly grabbed her by the forearm and hoisted her up onto the branch, cradling her in his arms before sitting her just along side him.

'How does she smell so uniquely _wonderful'_ , he thought to himself.

Persephone couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise when he pulled her up onto the tree. He grabbed her as though she weighed nothing, and she couldn't help but admire his strength in that moment. Quickly turning her attention back to the task at hand, she spoke to Hades again.

"What should I grow?" She looked at him, eyes full of concern.

Hades couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked. How innocent she was. How concerned she seemed about doing something wrong with the garden she'd been given.

"Anything you want, Persephone. Do you have a favorite plant? A favorite flower?"

Persephone's face instantly lit up. They're all my favorites! But there was one I saw the night-", she cut herself off- her face losing the light it had just been filled with not a second before.

"What night, Persephone?" Hades asked, concern obvious in his tone.

"The night you came for me", she responded in a low whisper.

Hades felt his heart breaking in that moment. This flower she had found so beautiful he had used _against_ her. She would never want to see it again.

"You knew I'd never seen it before, didn't you? You knew that if I saw it, it would distract me long enough for you to come and take me away."

"Persephone, I-"

"What is it called?" she cut him off, not wanting to hear another apology.

Hades took a deep breath in and let it out before responding. "It's a narcissus. They symbolize re-birth… new beginnings."

"Hmm", Persephone breathed. "How fitting."

Then just before them on the ground, close to the base of the tree, a green vine sprouted forth from the soil and just as it stopped growing, the bud at its end opened up to reveal none other a narcissus.

Hades looked at the flower and couldn't help but be touched by it. What did this mean? Was this her way of telling him she was receptive to the idea of being his wife?! Open to the thought of starting a new beginning with _him_?

Hades looked at her with shock and admiration in his eyes but could not read the expression in hers.

"Thank you for my garden", she said. And she hopped down off the branch and began walking toward the other end of her soon-to-be garden.

As she walked along her garden, Persephone began bringing nature forward. She sprouted sunflowers and carnations, roses and lilies and tons of flowering shrubs and evergreens- and with every new blossom she felt her heart swell with joy. Persephone looked around at her garden and just by its outskirts found the perfect place to plant another tree.

She wanted an oak tree. The cypress tree at the center of the garden was beautiful, but oak trees were far better for climbing and resting on and at this angle, she would be able to see the entire garden from its peak. She closed her eyes and began to wish her new tree into existence, feeling the ground lightly rumbling beneath her feet, signaling her that it was indeed working. From the ground began to sprout branches accompanied by leaves and as they grew, one branch whisked her up off the ground and she laughed wholeheartedly, allowing it to carry her up its length . Once the tree was fully grown, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Are you not afraid you'll fall?" the voice asked her.

Startled, Persephone began looking down at the ground to see whom the voice belonged to. It was a woman's voice, this she was certain of, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Yes, a fall from such a high place certainly won't kill you but I'm sure you'd break a few bones on the way down", another voice, different from the first, spoke.

"Oh Megaera, stop trying to scare the girl. We want her to like us, not find us menacing". A third voice rang out.

Persephone kept looking around at the ground, still attempting to locate the sources of the voices currently speaking to her.

"We're over here, silly. Why don't you come down and meet your new sisters?!"

That was when she spotted them. Three beautiful goddesses in the finest robes she'd ever seen were looking up at her from the ground. They each had long flowing hair and skin so pale they looked like porcelain dolls. They almost didn't look real. Persephone held on to the branch currently supporting her and allowed it to carry her back to the ground.

She stood there in front of the goddesses and watched them as they scrutinized her.

"I'm Tisiphone", one of them finally spoke, "and these are my sisters Alecto and Megaera."

"I'm Per-"

"We know who you are", Megaera cut her off, reaching for a strand of Persephone's hair she brought it up to her nose and sniffed at it, making a face that suggested she wasn't impressed. "You're far prettier from far away", she said.

"Megaera!" Alecto scolded her. "Don't pay her any mind, she's still just bitter that Hades found someone else to give his affections to."

Megaera looked at her sister incredulously, "Well YEA, obviously. Hades used to please me until I felt like I couldn't feel anything, and now she's worked herself so far into his being that he wont even look at me naked anymore".

Persephone began to turn a deep shade of red, embarrassed by the conversation these three strangers were having right in front of her.

"At least let me help you look more attractive, it'll make me feel better about losing him to you", Megaera addressed Persephone looping her own arm into hers and beginning to walk with her.

"He was never yours to lose, Megaera. Stop antagonizing the girl". Tisiphone replied.

"I'm not antagonizing, I'm just saying!"

"I think you're beautiful!" Alecto interjected. "Your skin looks as though its been kissed by the sun and the white of your dress looks so beautiful against it!"

"I'd rather see her without the dress", Megaera said, causing Persephone to choke on the air she was breathing.

"Now look what you've done, Megaera. Why must you be so blunt all the time? You've gone and made her flush with embarrassment".

"Oh come on, why should I hide who I am? You love me for it. Plus she's just being a bashful virgin".

"Yes, but we have no choice in loving you as we've known you for decades. Persephone on the other hand, her you've just met."

Persephone cleared her throat to speak. "I-I'm sorry. I never asked to come here, Hades brought me here against-"

"Your free will, yadda yadda yadda", Megaera finished for her. "Tell me this has not been the most interesting week of your life."

Persephone looked up at Megaera suddenly with eyes full of disdain. "They have not been. They've been lonely. And I still wish to go home."

"You know that's not an option, Persephone." Tisiphone interjected as kindly as she could. "Hades did not steal you from the world… you were _promised_ to him by Zeus himself. It is your _fate_ to be his wife."

"I didn't ask for such an ill fate!" Persephone rang back, tears instantly flooding her eyes.

Tisiphone looked at Persephone with eyes full of compassion and understanding. She brought her hand up to cup Persephone's face and looked at her with sad eyes before responding, "We never do, sweet girl. We never do."

And just like that, Persephone began to weep as the three goddess she had just met moved in to engulf her in the largest and kindest embrace she had ever been given.

"Hades is a good man, Persephone. He would do nothing to hurt you." Alecto said.

"And it is very evident that he loves you. He would give you the entire world if he could, but he is only master of this one and as such it is yours. Open your heart to him and you will see the faithfulness with which he can love." Megaera promised, holding her new sister tightly.

From afar, Hades watched the entire scene with a mound of jealousy growing in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to be the one embracing Persephone the way his Furies were doing at the moment, but he knew it would take time.

And he'd wait every minute of every day for the rest of eternity if it meant she'd let him hold her like that, even for just the smallest of moments.

Stay here. If I'm not out in-"

Xander cut Angel off. "I'm not going to sit back while you go in there and rescue Buffy. I can help… I want to help".

Angel let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, just stay close and don't get yourself killed."

Angel and Xander slowly made their way into the factory, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs life- or unlife.

"You gettin' anything, dead boy?"

Angel looked back at Xander, an annoyed expression on his face, before looking forward again.

"I can't sense her, or Spike. If he did take her, he wasn't stupid enough to bring her back here."

Xander straightened up, ready to turn the place inside out, looking for clues as to where his friend might have been taken.

"So no-ones home." Xander said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that", replied the sing-songy voice of a woman. Xander stiffened at the sight of the vampiress standing a mere 5 feet behind them.

"Drusilla…" Angel said, his voice a mixture of emotions.

"Ooooooh, daddy's homeee. But you've been a very bad dog! You cannot come to the party." Drusilla said, as she began to twirl around the room.

"Where are they, Dru?" Angel said, quickly becoming impatient.

"They're already there!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together joyfully.

"Already where?" Xander asked in an even toned voice, afraid to incur the wrath of the insane creature before him.

"Raaarh", Drusilla barked her response at Xander and slowly began prowling at him, taking small but threatening strides in his direction. She tipped her chin down and tilted her head to one side, looking up at him through the darkest eyes he'd ever seen.

"You have _power_. But not _this_ way. Not in _this_ body. Here you reek of bittersweet lemons and raindrops and kittens but you deserve to smell like sweet death and _darkness_. Would you like me to show you?" She finally questioned, taking one large step forward to close the gap between them, but Angel stepped in front of her before she could move in on the boy.

"I wont let you have him, Dru. Now tell me, where is Buffy? What did Spike do to her?"

"Oooooohhhh", Drusilla grabbed at the sides of her head in pain. "She's taken him from me. He's all gone, lost to the sunshine."

Xander and Angel exchanged looks of surprise.

"Did Buffy kill Spike, Drusilla?" Angel questioned.

Drusilla began to giggle. "No, no, no… she could not end my William. But he took her and he left me. I always knew he couldn't play with the children." Drusilla sighed, turning her head down sadly.

"Drusilla, time is running out and I need you to try to make some sense. Where did Spike take Buffy?"

Drusilla straightened up and addressed Angel directly. "Where the sun cant be seen but burns just as bright. And all pay respects to the king. Now will you read me a story?"

"So he did take her! Forget this!" Xander said as he broke off into a sprint toward the metal stairs. "Buffy are you here?!" He called out to her but heard no response. "Buffy where are you? A little holler would help!"

"Xander what the hell are you doing?! I told you to stay close".

"Yea well listening to your creepy girlfriend hasn't gotten us anywhere now has it?" He exclaimed as he barged into a large room full of boxes and mannequins. In the center of the room stood a few mannequins different from the rest and they stood out to Xander not only because of their cage-wire style compared to the cloth mannequins that littered the room, but also because they the same exact style of mannequins he saw at Ethan's.

"That mannequin… those were the kind at the costume store".

"Are you sure?" Angel asked.

"I'm positive…" Xander said, as he spotted boxes full of costumes he could only assume were from the store.

Silence lingered for a moment between the two of them and just as Xander reached for something in one of the adjacent boxes, Angel spoke again.

"Should we take them with us?" He asked. "The costumes?"

Xander turned around and showed Angel the strange toy he'd just pulled form the box. It was a large red and black plastic staff. To Xander, it looked like a large fork, really.

"I get the distinct feeling this might be better".

Drusilla came strolling into the room, singing a tune very quietly. Xander and Angel watched her sway as she sat down in the center of the room and began to stroke one of her dollies' hair.

"Run and catch... run and catch… the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch…"

Angel and Xander exchanged a confused and suspicious look before they headed out of the Factory and back to Giles and the crew with their new find.

"So you didn't find Buffy, but you found… this?" Giles asked, twirling the plastic staff around in his hand.

"No, but we know that Spike has Buffy".

At this Giles reared his head up, panic painting his face. "SPIKE has BUFFY?!" Giles practically yelled. "And you didn't start with this, WHY?"

Angel stepped in, in Xander's defense, coming between the two of them.

"Because we don't know where he's taken her. Xander found this in a box next to a mannequin he says was from Ethan's. It's all we had to go on. We couldn't get anything coherent out of Drusilla".

Giles took a step back, one hand on his hip as he removed his glasses with the other and momentarily stared off into space.

"Maybe Spike and Drusilla worked with Ethan on this whole Halloween fiasco. Teamed up to get Buffy in a costume they knew would turn her into someone defenseless so that Spike could make his move because he knew he couldn't take her himself."

"Spike almost killed Buffy at the parent-teacher conference…" Giles said.

"What?" Angel and Xander spoke in unison.

"Spike… had Buffy cornered. She recounted the entire story, every blow. He had her and the only reason she lived was because Joyce hit him over the head with the flat edge of an ax." Giles looked directly at them now and spoke, realization settling in his eyes. "In my research of Spike, every time he's battled a slayer no other bystander has ever been there to re-count the details. And unless the slayer lived to tell the tale, there was no record of it. It strikes me as though Spike values the thrill of the fight… a fair fight". He looked at Angel for affirmation.

"Spike relished the thrill of fighting a slayer. We all hid from them, but he sought them out. If he took her, maybe its because he wanted a chance to beat her without anyone there to get in the way. And if that really is the case, we don't have much time. We need to find them now." Angel said.

Giles' eyes widened. "Of course, why didn't I think if this before! A locator spell! Xander, get Ms. Calendar on the phone and tell her we need her here now. Have her bring whatever she needs to perform a locator spell."

"I'm on it!"

Giles burst out of his office and into the library, addressing Willow. "Do you have anything of Buffy's?"

Willow shot up out of her chair, looking at Giles in a panic".

"Y-Yea, I-I have her scrunchie? OH! And this pencil!"

"The hair accessory will do. Give it here." He said, extending his hand out to Willow to palm the small piece of fabric. "Cordelia, go find a map of the world, we'll need it for the spell."

"Spell?" Cordelia and Willow asked?

"JUST GO" Giles shouted, and both girls scurried out of the room.

Jenny arrived at the school 20 minutes later with all the supplies needed to perform the locator spell. The map was laid out on the floor, the incense lit, the herbs burning, the incantations were read just as they were intended and still, nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?" Xander spoke, "I get the distinct feeling that his isn't working".

"Maybe it's the wrong incantation? O-Or we burned the wrong herbs? Or-!"

Giles pounded his fist down on the table, startling everyone.

"Everything was done correctly," Giles said in the grimmest tone of voice they'd ever heard.

"Then what does that mean?" Willow timidly asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Giles looked at Jenny, despair etched across every aspect of his face.

Jenny opened her mouth to speak in place of Giles, knowing they had both arrived at the same conclusion and that he wouldn't be able to speak the news himself.

"It means that Buffy isn't IN this world… or that she's already dead".


	10. Chapter 10

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 10

She couldn't help but laugh hysterically- so hard that the tears were streaming down her cheeks. The absurdities she had just been told were outrageously funny.

"So you mean to tell me that my teenaged daughter is some kind of superhero who has been chosen to save the world from evil? Demons… _vampires_...-" Joyce cut herself off with another round of hysterical laughter.

Giles, Angel and the rest of the Scooby gang sat back and watched the entire scene unfold before them. Did Joyce really not believe everything she had just been told? Or was she in denial?

"Joyce, there are things in this world that are difficult to understand… to fully comprehend. But, I assure you this is no laughing matter. We came to you today because the matter at hand is pressing and time is of the essence."

Joyce straightened and watched Giles with wide, mirth-filled eyes, giving him an unspoken signal to continue.

"We believe that Buffy has been taken by a very dangerous man- a vampire, in fact, and-"

Giles was again cut off by a loud snort of laughter from Joyce, the kind you can't help but let escape after trying to hold in for far too long. Angry and desperate for her to hear him, Giles quickly stood, knocking his chair onto the floor him and bringing one fist to pound on the table which they were all currently gathered around.

"Damnit woman! What I am telling you is real and if we cant find Buffy, and soon, she will _die_!"

Startled into mild belief by his sudden outburst, Joyce quickly lost all sense of humor. That was when she heard sobbing coming from the opposite end of the table. Willow had buried her face in her hands and had begun to cry as Xander stroked her back, whispering that they would find their friend and that she would be ok.

Realization began to set in and it was too much for Joyce to handle.

"Where the hell is my daughter?!" she yelled, quickly standing from the table and moving toward the stairs.

"BUFFY?! BUFFY WHERE ARE YOU? THE JOKE IS OVER!"

Joyce climbed the stairs two at a time until she reached the top of the landing in record speed and turned into her daughter's room. The room looked like it hadn't been touched since Halloween when Buffy left to trick-or-treat with the children from the volunteer program.

She frantically looked around the room and when she didn't see Buffy she continued to call out to her while opening every door in her house.

"Joyce stop! She's not here!

"Well I certainly refuse to let myself believe she's been taken by a VAMPIRE! Vampires aren't real!"

That was when Angel let out the most feral growl anyone had ever heard. Startled, Joyce turned to look at the source of the sound and what she was met with shook her to her core. Buffy's "history tutor" had taken on the façade of an ugly demon. His face had morphed into a menacing glare with a wrinkled brown ridge, glowing yellow eyes and teeth that were barred and… sharp. They were jagged and pointed at the ends and in that moment she couldn't help but believe everything she had just been told.

"We are real, Joyce". Angel spoke, slowly approaching the woman who looked like she had just gone into shock. "We are real and the vampire most notoriously known for killing Buffy's kind has her and we don't know where."

"I can't accept that", Joyce responded, a hard look on her face.

"Then don't. And feel free to waste your time staring at that front door, because she's not coming home until we all come together and figure out a way to get her back", Xander cut in. Turning around to face the rest of the crew who had all slowly gathered in the hallway he spoke again- "We've already lost too much time coming here, we have to get back to finding a way to bring Buffy home."

They all slowly turned and began descending the stairs. Immobilized with shock, Joyce just stood and watched them all disappear from sight. Underneath her, she could hear them collecting their belongings and putting chairs back into place before making their way out of her house and closing the door behind them.

That was when reality hit Joyce like a ton of bricks. Every time Buffy had confided in her and tried to tell her that these things that go bump in the night were all real, Joyce disregarded her… thought she was crazy… and even went so far as to have her institutionalized. Was she such a terrible mother? How could she be so careless with her only child.

And now her child was in danger.

No… something had to be done. She needed to find a way to get her daughter back, and the only person she knew would be able to help her was the person responsible for this entire ordeal.

She would have to go to Giles for help.

He tossed and turned in his bed, attempting to sleep but it was fleeting. He hadn't had a decent nights rest in months. Knowing the woman he loved slept in his palace but not with him was the worst form of torture… to have her so close yet so far away. Many nights he would crawl out of bed and make his way down the hall to her chambers and would watch her sleep for hours.

Tonight was no different.

He teleported directly into her room, fearful of waking her should he open the door, and watched her deep in slumber. The way her face looked so at peace without the lines of worry that seemed to be permanently etched across her face during the day. The way her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. The mewling sounds she made in her sleep. The way she moved without waking, trying to find comfort in her unconscious state. The way her gown exposed skin he did not have the pleasure of admiring during waking hours.

Currently Persephone had kicked her covers off, likely trying to find relief from the heat of the night, and he could see the flesh of her thighs. Her arms were thrown above her head and her hair glistened in the moonlight.

And oh, how Hades wanted to run his fingers through her hair.

He slowly approached her bedside and reached his hand out to touch those golden strands, but stopped just short of them. Admiring her beauty, he ran his hand down the expanse of her body, hovering just over her skin.

Wanting to touch her so badly it hurt.

Just as he hovered between her legs, imagining how warm and wet she could be for him, Persephone made a noise in her sleep that made Hades' desire grow hard. He scrunched his face together in a pained expression and brought his other fist to his mouth to bite down on.

How he wanted to take this woman and make her his… _so_ badly.

Looking down at her again, he noticed her sudden labored breaths and the sight of her breasts moving in time with them- her cleavage straining against their confines. As she moved again on the bed, she turned her head toward him and allowed her legs to fall open.

Hades felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach when he realized something that made his eye practically roll to the back of his head.

Whatever she was dreaming, it was VERY nice.

The quiet noises she was making soon became loud moans of pleasure and he couldn't help but feel jealous. Of whom was she thinking? Who did she want bringing her pleasure like the kind she was experiencing in the recesses of her mind?

Feeling brave, Hades brought his hand up to her lips and allowed his fingers to trace their outline. He gently slid his hand across her chin and down her neck, tracing her clavicle on the way down to the swell of her breasts. And by the gods, how he wanted to take them both in his hands and squeeze them- to roll her nipples between his fingers until they hardened with pleasure.

But fearful of waking her, he simply ran his finger down the center of her chest and continued to move his hand down along her stomach. When he reached her mound he bypassed it, afraid that if he touched her in her most intimate area he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from taking what he wanted. He was so hard for her and knew that if he felt even the slightest bit of moisture revealing the extent of her excitement, he would make her his- wedding be damned.

Instead he moved his hand down right her hip. It was almost as though she sensed that the source of her possible relief was near, because as his hand traced her inner thigh with the lightest of touches, Persephone's hips jutted forward of their own accord, seemingly searching for more.

That was when Hades lost all control. He quickly climbed onto the bed and settled himself between Persephone's legs, hovering above her. He began showering her face with kisses, taking in the way she smelled and the light sheen of sweat that had begun to accumulate on her brow. Unable to resist anymore, he brought his hand to rest at the apex of her thighs before moving down and slipping his fingers between her folds.

And she felt divine.

So soft and warm and wet- and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her and make himself right at home. But even then she still slept. Would he be able to bring her off without waking her? Why did it matter?!

No longer caring if she awoke under his ministrations, Hades lifted the hem of her dress to rest on her stomach and took in the site of her- and was she _beautiful_. While looking at her womanhood he slipped the fingers that had been touching her into his mouth to taste her and he was instantly lost.

She tasted heavenly and he wanted more.

Wanted all of her.

And that was when he heard her whisper his name.

Tonight was no different.

He teleported directly into her room, fearful of waking her should he open the door, and watched her deep in slumber. The way her face looked so at peace without the lines of worry that seemed to be permanently etched across her face during the day. The way her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. The mewling sounds she made in her sleep. The way she moved without waking, trying to find comfort in her unconscious state. The way her gown exposed skin he did not have the pleasure of admiring during waking hours.

Currently Persephone had kicked her covers off, likely trying to find relief from the heat of the night, and he could see the flesh of her thighs. Her arms were thrown above her head and her hair glistened in the moonlight.

And oh, how Hades wanted to run his fingers through her hair.

He slowly approached her bedside and reached his hand out to touch those golden strands, but stopped just short of them. Admiring her beauty, he ran his hand down the expanse of her body, hovering just over her skin.

Wanting to touch her so badly it hurt.

Just as he hovered between her legs, imagining how warm and wet she could be for him, Persephone made a noise in her sleep that made Hades' desire grow hard. He scrunched his face together in a pained expression and brought his other fist to his mouth to bite down on.

How he wanted to take this woman and make her his… _so_ badly.

Looking down at her again, he noticed her sudden labored breaths and the sight of her breasts moving in time with them- her cleavage straining against their confines. As she moved again on the bed, she turned her head toward him and allowed her legs to fall open.

Hades felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach when he realized something that made his eye practically roll to the back of his head.

Whatever she was dreaming, it was VERY nice.

The quiet noises she was making soon became loud moans of pleasure and he couldn't help but feel jealous. Of whom was she thinking? Who did she want bringing her pleasure like the kind she was experiencing in the recesses of her mind?

Feeling brave, Hades brought his hand up to her lips and allowed his fingers to trace their outline. He gently slid his hand across her chin and down her neck, tracing her clavicle on the way down to the swell of her breasts. And by the gods, how he wanted to take them both in his hands and squeeze them- to roll her nipples between his fingers until they hardened with pleasure.

But fearful of waking her, he simply ran his finger down the center of her chest and continued to move his hand down along her stomach. When he reached her mound he bypassed it, afraid that if he touched her in her most intimate area he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from taking what he wanted. He was so hard for her and knew that if he felt even the slightest bit of moisture revealing the extent of her excitement, he would make her his- wedding be damned.

Instead he moved his hand down right her hip. It was almost as though she sensed that the source of her possible relief was near, because as his hand traced her inner thigh with the lightest of touches, Persephone's hips jutted forward of their own accord, seemingly searching for more.

That was when Hades lost all control. He quickly climbed onto the bed and settled himself between Persephone's legs, hovering above her. He began showering her face with kisses, taking in the way she smelled and the light sheen of sweat that had begun to accumulate on her brow. Unable to resist anymore, he brought his hand to rest at the apex of her thighs before moving down and slipping his fingers between her folds.

And she felt divine.

So soft and warm and wet- and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her and make himself right at home. But even then she still slept. Would he be able to bring her off without waking her? Why did it matter?!

No longer caring if she awoke under his ministrations, Hades lifted the hem of her dress to rest on her stomach and took in the site of her- and was she _beautiful_. While looking at her womanhood he slipped the fingers that had been touching her into his mouth to taste her and he was instantly lost.

She tasted heavenly and he wanted more.

Wanted all of her.

And that was when he heard her whisper his name.

"Hadesss…"

She was dreaming of him! Imagining him bringing her pleasure just like he'd imagined it himself time and time again since he'd brought her here to be his wife. His eyes practically rolled to the back of his head with desire.

He quickly moved his hand under her left knee to spread her legs further apart and opened her to him as much as he could. After taking in the sight of her one more time, he brought his lips up to her clit and let his tongue flick out between them to lick her up and down.

Persephone's moans instantly became louder and he felt her begin to grind herself against his face. Looking for more… wanting more… wanting more of _him_. He pressed his mouth harder into her center, lapping up the evidence of her excitement until he was drunk with her.

"H-Hades?!" Persephone gasped.

Unwilling to pull himself from between her legs, Hades looked up at her from his very precarious position and stared at her with eyes filled with want. And he was met with eyes just as full of desire and passion as he knew his were.

Persephone couldn't help but be completely taken aback by seeing Hades' head between her legs when she woke, feeling his tongue caressing areas that made her flush with embarrassment. Everything he was doing felt so good, and watching his head as it moved was only adding fuel to the fire.

She started to feel pressure building in the pit of her stomach accompanied by what she thought could be anxiety. She could feel her legs shaking and her inner walls began to quake. Afraid of these feelings she'd never before experienced and wanting to bring an end to them, she called out to him again.

"Hades?!"

He looked up at her again and as she looked into his eyes he brought his hand up to her breasts and pulled her dress down, exposing her nipples to the night air that was now a nice, cool contrast against her scorching hot skin.

Desperate for relief from all of the feelings assaulting her, Persephone tried to close her legs and thus herself, off from Hades- but he pinned one of her legs down with his free hand and continued on.

"Unhhhhh!" she moaned again and began grinding herself against Hade's face even faster than before. She couldn't believe what she was doing. Why was her body betraying her like this? She didn't know what was happening but knew it couldn't be right.

He was rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefinger now, squeezing them tight, wanting to bring her a bit of pain with the pleasure. He began moving his tongue against her clit faster and faster until he felt a new rush of liquid pool between her legs. Quickly, he brought his tongue to her opening and pushed forward, feeling her walls surrounding his tongue.

Her moans were coming quicker and louder, intermingled with nervous yells of pleasure. She'd never experienced an orgasm before, he could tell from the sounds she was making, and he reveled in the idea of being the first and only man to ever accomplish that.

Attempting to push Hades away, Persephone pushed at his head with her hand but he never relented in his efforts. Feeling herself begin to slip into a state of being she had no control over, Persephone fisted his hair into her hand and against her own accord pushed him deeper into her core.

"Mmmmm", she felt the vibrations of his moan against her clit and she was lost.

"Hades?...Hades?! … HADES!" She cried as her back arched up off the bed and her entire body fell into a fit of convulsions.

That was when he suddenly sat up in his bed. He instantly became all too aware that what he had experienced was all just a dream. Putting his hands on either side of his head he allowed himself to flop back onto the bed in extreme frustration.

And not to mention- an extreme erection.

Unbeknownst to him, just down the hall Persephone also shot up out of bed, covered in sweat and panting heavily. She could feel her center warm and wet and when she looked around the room, three very amused women sat on her windowsill- wide eyed and slack jawed.

"I want to hear all about it!" Megaera yelled, leaping from the window and crossing over to Persephone's bedside in a heartbeat.

Embarrassed, flustered and a bit aggravated, Persephone buried her face in her hands and flopped back down onto the bed.

What the hell just happened?


	11. Chapter 11

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 11

Persephone sat on her bed, covering her face with her hands as she recounted the dream she'd just had, in technicolor detail, to her friends.

"You know what this means, right?!" Alecto squealed.

Persephone looked on at her, perplexed. When she didn't respond Megaera stepped in, rolling her eyes as she spoke.

"It _means_ that you like _Hades_."

"No it doesn't!" Persephone refuted.

"And it _means_ that a part of you, no matter how small, can't _wait_ for him to touch you the way he did in your _dream_!"

"IT DOES NOT!" She yelled again, Megaera and Alecto both laughing at her obvious discomfort in speaking of the matter.

"Oh stop it girls!" Tisiphone interfered as an annoyed Persephone shot out of bed and over to the bath the women had just finished preparing before being interrupted by Persephone's moans. "Persephone, they only tease!" she called after her.

"I'd like to have my bath now. Alone!"

"Awww, but we always talk during your baths!" Alecto whined.

"Well today we talked before my bath! So out!"

"Come on, lets go so she can be alone to masturbate." Megaera said, non-chalantly, making her sisters laugh against their own accord.

"WHAT?!" Persephone snapped, looking over at Megaera.

"I _said_ you want to be alone so that you can _mas-tur-bate_." Megaera replied, stressing each syllable.

Persephone just looked on at her, puzzled. Noting her confusion, the girls took turns looking at each other with bewildered expressions. Moving closer to Persephone, Megaera repeated the word again slowly.

"Masturbate, Persephone," she said, coming very close to her, "-means to touch yourself." Still seeing an unknowing look on Persephone's face, Megaera continued on. Close enough to touch her now, Megaera reached for the strap of Persephone's gown and slid it down her shoulder, further exposing her cleavage. Trailing her hand across the swell of her breasts and allowing it to glide down the expanse of her torso.

"You know… the way Hades did in your dream." She said, raising one eyebrow at Persephone as her fingertips just barely caressed the top of her mound. Blushing furiously and finally understanding what she meant, Persephone swatted Megaera's hand away, yelling one final "get out" to the girls. Laughing and dramatically grabbing on to one another for support, Megaera and Alecto left the room, leaving Tisiphone and Persephone alone.

Grabbing the folded towel that rested on the bed, Tisiphone walked over to the large tub and draped it over the thick marble ledge. Persephone had her back turned to her and Tisiphone could see she was still breathing heavily, trying to suppress her anger.

Tisiphone made her way over to Persephone and without a word pulled the only remaining strap of her gown off of her shoulder and allowed it to fall to the floor. Extending her arm out to grasp Persephone's opposite shoulder she slowly turned her around to face the tub. Persephone reached out for Tisiphone's hand and grabbed it to support herself as she stepped into the still steaming bath water.

Persephone sat herself in the tub and closed her eyes, allowing the hot water to calm her. Tisiphone reached for the sponge and jasmine soap and began washing Persephone's back. Once she had visibly relaxed, Tisiphone gathered the courage to speak.

"You know, its not a bad a thing… that dream you had."

Persephone let out an annoyed sigh and Tisiphone quickly continued before she gave her a chance to kick her out of the room.

"I'm just saying. The two of you have been spending more time together. He's been very kind to you, has he not? He tends to you and ensures you want for nothing. And when the time comes he is to be your husband, after-all, and those things of which you dreamed are to be expected."

Persephone had relaxed significantly, responding far better to Tisiphone's reasoning than she had to Megaera's.

"He loves you and respects you, which is far more than could be said of any other god or man in his position. Anyone else would have forced you into marriage and taken what they felt was rightfully theirs by now. He's been patient with you and has even postponed the wedding until you feel comfortable with him. Can't you see how much he cares for you in such a significant gesture?" Tisiphone finished with a question and followed it up with another.

"Haven't you grown to care for him, even just a little bit?"

Persephone quickly turned her head toward her, brows furrowed together. Anticipating her typical response of 'he stole me away', Tisiphone cut her off again before she could answer.

"Don't tell me! Just think about it… to yourself."

Persephone looked from her friend back to the bubbles in the tub and began thinking of the last few months she'd spent here. Of course, she was terribly unhappy at first, but she had grown accustomed to her new life. That's not to say she didn't miss home, because she did miss her mother… terribly. But she did have more freedom here, as ironic as that was.

Back home she could only be out in the garden in the early mornings. Because their garden was situated in front of her mother's house, it was not appropriate for Persephone to be outdoors when men could be around to see her in later hours of the day. She spent all of her time cooped up in her room, staring out of her window… dreaming of something _more_.

Was this what she'd unintentionally conjured with her prayers for a more exciting life?

And of course there was Hades. He'd started off as a royal pain in her ass, but if she was honest with herself, he had slowly worked his way into her heart- and if she wasn't careful, he just might take up residence there.

But was that really such a bad thing?

Images of Hades began floating through her mind then- the way he extended his arm out to her before each of their strolls, his smile, his laugh. The way his chest was more times than not, exposed. The way his muscles rippled with even the smallest movement and the way in which she very much appreciated his beauty. The way he looked at her and made her feel like she was his world… like he would give up everything he owned- everything he _was_ \- if she would just let him in.

And his eyes.

Always so expressive. Always so full of emotion.

She could get lost in those eyes.

And often times she did and knew it was no secret to him. How many times had she gotten so lost in those eyes that she'd disregarded one of their conversations- only to have him ask her a question about whatever he'd just spoken and catch her completely unaware.

How many times had her faced turned a bright shade of crimson under one of his speculative looks or compliments?

How many times had he touched her skin and felt it burn straight to her core?

How had he embedded himself so deeply in her being?

Tisiphone again began stroking down the length of Persephone's arms with the sponge, breaking her train of thought. Handing the sponge over she spoke again and stood from her seated position on the edge of the tub.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts, Persephone. Just try to keep an open heart and an open mind."

Persephone gave her a weak smile directing a sincere 'thank you' her way.

Tisiphone gave her a slight bow of her head, as to say 'anytime' and turned from the tub.

"And if you're going to masturbate, try to keep it down this time", Tisiphone quickly blurted out before making a full on sprint toward the door.

"OH YOU-…" Persephone yelled while throwing the water soaked sponge in her direction. Tisiphone had just barely dodged out of range when she opened the door to the chamber and was greeted by her other sisters' raucous laughter.

"You're all incorrigible!" Persephone called at them one last time before sinking back into the tub with an expression on her face that showed not just how humorous she'd actually found her friends to be, but also her embarrassment at how right they actually were.

She was in a whole underworld of trouble.

Hades paced the length if the megaron, practicing what he would say to Persephone when he went to meet her in her garden as he did every morning.

"'G-good morning, Persephone. It's a lovely day, is it not?' No, no, that's what you say every morning. Change it up a bit." Clearing his throat he tried again. "'Good morning, Persephone, you look lovely today'. NO! That's far too bold. But is it? I mean, I've already sequestered the lady, telling her she looks lovely isn't-"

Hades was interrupted by giggles coming down the hallway. Looking up he was met by his three furies, beautiful as ever. They always seemed to float, without a care in the world, but he knew just how vicious and vengeful each of them could be. Even sweet Alecto, who always seemed to be the most innocent of them all. At times her work could put the others' to shame.

"What has my girls laughing this way at such an early time of the day? What troubles have they managed to get themselves into?" He said, as Megaera extended her arms out to him and began to dance him around the room.

"Persephone!" Megaera sang as she broke off from him into a spin- arms spread wide and head turned up to the sky.

"You've not been teasing her again, have you?" Hades sighed.

"Ohhhh no, no, no. No one has been _teasing_ her at all. She's been very much… _fulfilled_ … in her _desires_."

Hades instantly became defensive and looked around at the women, noting mischief in their eyes. He felt anger rising up in his throat.

"What do you mean, ' _fulfilled in her desires'_? Hades repeated. When he got no answer from Megaera he looked to Tisiphone and Alecto.

"What does she mean?" He asked the two, more firmly this time. Tisiphone simply responded by raising an eyebrow, a devious smirk on her face.

Hades balled his hands up into fists and approached them quickly, anger etched across his face. Pointing a finger in their direction he spoke again.

"I said she was not to be TOUCHED!" He yelled the last word, swinging his fist out to pound the nearest marble pillar. A large chunk of the pillar crumbled to the ground and cracks began radiating from the site of impact to run the entire length of the pillar- ceiling to floor.

Needless to say, the entire room shook and the Erinyes instantly froze.

No more giggles, no more twirling, no more devious looks. Their master was angry and they seldom managed to incur his wrath. They all held their breaths as Hades looked from one to the other before abruptly turning to walk out of the room. Once he was out of hearing range, they each let out the breath they'd been holding and their giggles returned- although this time they were laughs of relief.

"Oh Megaera", Tisiphone lightheartedly said, "-you are bad."

"So very bad", Alecto agreed.

"Don't you just love it?" Megaera replied. "Come now! With Persephone's very detailed recount of her dream and the way Hades' muscles tensed while reprimanding us, I'm in desperate need of relief!", and the three walked off toward their chamber laughing all the way.

When Hades found her, Persephone was crouched over a new bed of flowers in her garden. Never slowing, Hades briskly walked toward her, making his presence known. Hearing his advance, Persephone quickly stood and regarded him with curiosity and embarrassment as images from her dream filled her mind the moment she saw him approaching.

"Persephone!" Hades called out to her and she quickly dropped her gaze and opened her mouth to respond but Hades didn't give her the chance.

"I want to know if it's true! The girls told me-"

"THEY TOLD YOU?!" Persephone cut him off, looking up at him with complete and utter shock written on her face. She flushed a deep shade of red and couldn't help but let her jaw drop in surprise.

"So its true then?!" Hades responded and Persephone failed to notice the hurt in his voice.

"I can't believe they told you!"

"Persphone, you are to be my wife! And-"

"YOU SOUND JUST LIKE THEM! THAT DREAM WAS PRIVATE! REGARDLESS OF YOU BEING IN IT AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I AM TO BE YOUR WIFE, BECAUSE I AM NOT YET! I DID NOT EXPECT THEM TO GO RECOUNT SUCH AN EMBARASSING DREAM TO YOU."

She paused, noting the odd expression on Hades' face. He must not be used to being yelled at, she thought.

"AND JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE", she continued, "I AM NOT REPSONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN MY DREAMS OR WHO ELSE IS IN THEM! IT COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY BEEN ANYONE ELSE INSTEAD OF YOU IN THAT DREAM. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"

"What?" Hades asked, shaking his head as though trying to clear the confusion from his mind.

Persephone's eyes went wide as saucers. Had she gotten ahead of herself? Had she just told Hades something he knew nothing about? After all, she hadn't given him a chance to say just what the Erinyes had told him.

"What?" she replied, straightening out and shaking her head in the same fashion Hades just had.

"What did you just say?" Hades asked.

"Nothing." Persephone replied, unable to hide the scared expression on her face.

"You had a dream about me?" Hades asked, a smirk slowly gracing his mouth. And oh, that mouth! The things he'd done with it in her dream. The things he'd made her feel. Shaking herself from her thoughts, Persephone adamantly denied it this time.

"NO I DIDN'T!" she yelled at him.

"YES YOU DID!" Hades yelled right back in a humorous tone, pointing a finger in her direction. "YOU HAD A DREAM! ABOUT ME!" he teased.

"UGH! YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!" Persephone yelled again.

Hades was laughing now and Persephone's obvious embarrassment at having spilled her secret unintentionally made her so adorable he wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her!

Hades stepped forward to embrace her and Persephone reared back.

"If you come any closer I'll get them to detain you!" She warned, gesturing at all her plants.

"YOU WOULDN'T!" Hades responded, feigning shock.

"Try me!" Persephone said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring back at him defiantly. Branches started moving and soon what seemed like a small arsenal hung behind her, all poised to strike.

Thinking fast, Hades moved to one side and quickly changed direction to the other, successfully confusing Persephone and her attack was lost. Branches were met with air and other braches instead of flesh, and they wrapped around each other, completely useless to her. Now that he had an opening, Hades charged at Persephone and she quickly turned around and began running in the opposite direction.

Hades laid chase to her, unable to keep his mind from thinking about the way her hair blew in the breeze or the way her dress billowed behind her. He could smell jasmine and other scents he knew to be distinctly hers- a mixture of coconuts and earth.

And then the sweetest sound reached his ears… she was laughing.

LAUGHING!

In mid run Persephone turned around to see how far behind her he was, and she was a vision with her hair flowing past her face and a smile that lit up every dark corners of Hades' being.

By the gods, if this was a dream, he didn't know what he would do.

Speeding up just a bit Hades finally reached his arm around her waist and pulled her up off the ground and into him. The momentum from her run caused her to bend at the waist and over Hades' forearm and she held on tight while he spun her around.

Hades suddenly lost his footing and Persephone felt them falling forward. Afraid Persephone would be hurt by the fall, Hades made sure to angle himself just right so that he fell on his side and Persephone just above him.

Both on the grass in a fit of laughter, Hades gently rolled himself over Persephone to inspect her for injuries.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his laughter beginning to die down.

"Mhmm", Persephone nodded, letting him know she was alright as her laughter kept her from forming words.

Hades could only look down at her in wonder. Had he ever heard her laugh? He felt his heart swelling with emotion as he looked on at her. Persephone slowly took notice of his changing expressions and her laughter began to fade- replaced with a tightening feeling in her chest and a burning deep in her belly.

This was the closest they'd ever been and Persephone was beginning to feel very short of breath.

Hades studied every inch of her face, her skin, her hair- the way her eyes shone so brightly. The way her lips were in a perpetual pout, as though always asking to be kissed.

And he was so close to her. This was the perfect moment to kiss her. Why not now?

 _'DO IT!'_ His inner self cried out to him. ' _KISS HER YOU NIT! LOOK INTO HER EYES AND SEE HOW BADLY SHE WANTS IT TOO!'_

And she did. Persephone's eyes wandered down to his lips and hers parted in invitation. When he didn't move she looked up into his eyes in anticipation of what he would do next.

"You cheated", she finally said.

"I cheated?"

"You tricked me into making my branches charge at a place you wouldn't be in." she pouted, purposefully this time.

Hades smiled. "You really should learn to do two things at once. You could have easily re-directed them. Besides, a good wife does not attack her husband."

"Well then I suppose it's a good thing I am not yet your wife."

"You suppose?" Hades asked- a pregnant pause followed.

"Are you ready to be?" he whispered. Looking down at her he slowly brought his hand up to run a finger down the side of her face and across her chin, just barely grazing the underside of her lower lip. Persephone closed her eyes and waited for the kiss that… never came?

She felt Hades' warmth and weight pull away from her and she opened her eyes to see him standing above her with a hand extended out to help her to her feet. Persephone reluctantly took it and looked around at the skirt of her dress, busying herself with brushing off invisible grass and dirt. Embarrassed, yet again, because she'd made it so clear that she wanted him to kiss her but he hadn't.

Was she indeed ready to be his wife?

And more importantly, had he lost interest in her? Why hadn't he kissed her?

' _WHO CARES?!_ ' She suddenly thought defensively, 'maybe now he'll let me go home'.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Hades abruptly moved toward her and she was _so_ certain it was for a kiss this time.

And it was.

Hades stepped right in front of her, slipping his fingers into her hair and just before he brought his lips down to hers he lost his nerve, yet again, and pulled a twig from her hair instead.

She could never want him. She was at best confused by the dream she'd had, but he wouldn't fool himself into believing a creature as perfect as herself could ever want him to kiss her, much less love him the way he wished.

And she would certainly never be ready to be his wife.

"Your garden is beautiful", he said. "It's coming along quite nicely".

"Th-Thank you", she replied, a weak smile on her face.

Hades returned her weak smile and swiftly bowed his head before turning around and walking back toward the palace.

Once Hades was out of sight, Persephone allowed herself go fall back onto the grass and began pounding at the ground with her fists and feet, like a small child would throw a tantrum.

"UGH!" she yelled in frustration. "Get yourself together, Persephone!" She berated herself then released all the tension in her body and looked up at the sky in complete bewilderment.

When had she begun to care for Hades?


	12. Chapter 12

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 12

Six days.

Buffy had been missing for six days and they were still no closer to finding her than they were on the first.

Joyce came around a little over a day after she was given the news that her daughter was nothing short of a superhero. The one girl in all the world, chosen to protect humankind from things her own mother told her didn't exist to soothe her fears as a child. The late night pep talks about monsters not being real to help her get to sleep, the reassuring hugs she'd give Buffy after having nightmares of things coming out of the dark to grab her, when she heard noises outside her window and all her mother could do was insist it was just the wind… when she had her _committed_ for believing vampires were _real_.

And they really were.

Joyce would never forgive herself. And if Buffy never returned, how was she to keep living?

She went about prepping snacks for the next Scooby meeting. The Library had become unsafe after parent-teacher night when vampires realized those were the slayer's 'stomping grounds'.

And even that was a tough pill to swallow. She'd seen these creatures before and chosen to believe they were simply gang members on PCP. And what's more? She had actually protected her daughter from the very monster who apparently had her now.

Ever since she found out Buffy had been taken, all she could do was come up with new ways to blame herself for everything. That and pray- pray to a God she'd believed had stopped listening to her long ago- that her daughter would be returned to her, safely.

She was relieved when the knock at the door came, signaling everyone's arrival. Seeing them researching and working toward bringing Buffy home was enough to calm her fears, even temporarily. An hour of researching passed before someone finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm being as optimistic as I can about finding Buffy soon. I really am..." Jenny broke the silence, addressing Joyce. "But we have to come up with what to tell principal Snyder by the end of the week if she's not home by Friday. Classes resume after fall break on Monday, and the flu will only excuse her absences for so long."

Joyce stared on at Miss Calendar in a daze. Would her daughter really be gone so long?

"I-I can collect her assignments from our classes. Having them turned would help to get her excused for a longer period of time. Because at least it'll look like she's doing work".

"Yes, that would be quite helpful, Willow." Giles chimed in, "And the counsel can forge any medical documents necessary to make our story credible."

Joyce swallowed the hard lump in her throat and silently agreed by nodding her head.

"I'm going to step outside for a moment. Please, make yourselves at home."

Joyce made her way to the backdoor in the kitchen, relieved by the cool night air when she made her way into the backyard. She began thinking of what lie she would come up with but as she paced the yard, she was quickly overwhelmed by her emotions yet again.

Falling to her knees, she began pulling out fistfuls of grass in an angry fit. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled at the earth- uprooting nearby flowerbeds and weeds and scattering mulch every which way. Joyce suddenly stopped when she came across a single stem coming from the ground, far removed from the others.

She followed the length of the stem until she reached a beautiful white flower with what looked like a smaller yellow flower with orange-tipped petals positioned at its center. It was just one flower, unique from all the rest… separated from all the rest, and so very beautiful.

Just like Buffy.

In that moment, Joyce was overcome by an emotion she hadn't felt in days.

 _Hope_.

Deep down in her soul, Joyce knew this flower had bloomed for her daughter and because of this knew she would be ok. Joyce quickly went to her gardening shed and retrieved a small shovel and gardening pot- the bottom of which she lined with fertilizer. She carefully dug around the base of the flower and gently pulled it from the earth. Placing it in the small pot, she topped it with fertilizer and watered it, then made her way back inside the house to place it on her kitchen windowsill.

"Xander, would you stop flipping through pictures already? You're going thru them way too fast and I can already sense an impending seizure. But good news, I _think_ you're old enough! Maybe we can try a book with _words_." Cordelia said as though she were addressing a child.

Xander just threw her one of his typical dirty looks before going right back to his pictures.

"I've been thru almost all of these books now, Giles. There's just too much in Greek mythology to pinpoint one specific thing. We've been thru all the spells with Janus and we haven't even found one that looks like the one he used on Halloween." Willow's voice became very weak, a defeated tone setting in. "And we're not even sure Spike was working with Ethan to begin with."

"Willow's right. Spike could have easily used the situation to his advantage to one up her. We don't have anything solid to research. We're just gong in circles." Angel said in frustration.

"Or _maybe_ we just found a clue", Xander said, turning his book around to show Angel the picture he'd just come across.

"The staff we found. With all of the things from the Halloween store at the mansion", Angel said, turning to look at Giles.

Giles stood from his chair and carefully took the book from Xander to examine the picture himself.

"Bident of Hades. Favored weapon of the Dark Lord of the Underworld." Giles read the caption aloud.

"What's so important about that?" Cordelia asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes, what does that mean?" Joyce interjected, making her way back into the dining room from the kitchen.

"I don't rightly know", admitted Giles. "But lets try to find a connection between Ethan's spell and this staff."

"Sure G-man! There's only one thing you're forgetting." Xander said, getting Giles to finally turn his attention from the picture.

"Hmm?"

"We haven't found anything about the spell."

"Then its time we did." Giles stated, matter of factly. "I'll need your help, Jenny." Giles told her as he gathered his coat and keys.

"W-Where are you going?" Willow abruptly stood from her chair to ask. Everyone in the room looked very confused and curious about Giles' sudden unspoken plan. Jenny, although also evidently curious, was already waiting for him at the door, confident in whatever silent conclusion Giles had just come to.

"To find Ethan." And without sparing a passing glance to those he was leaving behind, the exited the house and went out into the night.

Every night she heard it- a loud howl off in the distance. In her time in the underworld she had seen many animals that were raised as livestock and many other interesting creatures she'd never laid her eyes upon during her time on earth. But she had yet to see any that appeared as though they could _howl_.

Every night the sound made her uneasy. Made her nervous.

But tonight? Tonight she was overcome with nervous excitement because she was determined to find its source. And she was curious to know why said howl was always followed by Hades exiting his chamber in answer to it.

She waited to hear Hades' heavy footsteps coming down the hall… waited to hear him stop at her door. She pretended to be asleep as oftentimes he would come in to check on her while she "slumbered", but tonight he didn't. As soon as she heard him continue on she sprung from her bed and ran to the door, careful to be quiet as she opened it. When she peeked her head out to look down the hall, she caught a glimpse of Hades just as he turned the corner.

Quickly but silently she followed his path, stopping at every corner and waiting for him to turn the next before continuing on. Then he went outside and she had no other option but to stay out of the moonlight and follow him from a distance. She felt as though she'd been walking for miles when finally he stopped atop a cliff that looked over one of the rivers of the Underworld.

Hades then turned his palms up to the sky and raised his hands in what looked like prayer. Suddenly, light began coming forth from the water and all thoughts of the howling evaporated. With a newfound curiosity setting in, she edged closer to see the source of the light but knew she wouldn't be able to get close enough without giving her presence away. She contemplated turning around in that moment. She didn't know how long Hades would be here and she needed to make it back to her room in case he decided to check on her as he made his return.

"You came all this way… you may as well get what you came for."

Persephone jumped at the sound of his voice addressing her. Suddenly very shy, she turned her head down to the ground and began stuttering out her reply.

"I-I'm s-so sorry, my lord. I-I was just-"

"Following me to see what it is that I do every night?"

Persephone couldn't help but release the breath she'd been holding in the form of an amused sigh. How had he come to know her so well?

"Well, yes." She shyly admitted. "That and where the howling comes from."

"Lets take it one step at a time then, shall we?" He suggested, extending his hand out to her in invitation to join him on the ledge.

Persephone slowly approached him and when he was within reach, she extended her arm out to him. He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it in a gentle caress.

"Watch your step", he warned, guiding her over the rocky terrain.

"First things first- don't call me ' _my lord'_. Only people who are afraid of me call me as such. And I don't want you to be afraid of me. Okay?" He finished, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She couldn't help but get butterflies in her stomach at the feel of his fingertips brushing against her skin- not to mention their dangerously close proximity.

"Yes", she said, fervently nodding her head while looking up at him.

Smiling he continued on.

"The beast you hear is Cerberus. He is my hound and he alerts me when there is work to be done. After I have done my part he stays the remainder of the night ensuring everyone is in their place while I return to sleep. He rests during the day, which is why you, my dear, have never seen him."

"And this work you speak of? Does it have anything to do with the light you cast on the river?" she asked.

"Well, that you may come and see for yourself", he said, leading her up the last few steps she needed to take to see down below.

The sight made her gasp.

The river was filled with what appeared to be hundreds of small wooden boats. Their inhabitants had gold coins over their eyes, some had nothing but a lantern to light their way and most of them had no lantern at all.

"What is this? Who are they?" she asked looking up at Hades.

"They are souls, Persephone. Souls of the dead making their way to their rightful place here in the underworld."

"Why do some of them have lanterns while others don't?"

That was when she noticed white shadows floating underneath the surface of the water.

"Oh my! Are those also souls? There… in the water?!" She asked, pointing to the river.

"You're very observant, you know?" he said with a smile before continuing on. "They are all going to different realms here in the underworld. Those souls you see in the river have been destined to the Fields of Punishment- in life, they were criminals and murderers and wreaked havoc against the natural order of life. They will spend eternity suffering for their misdeeds."

Turning his attention to next category of souls, he spoke again. "Those without lanterns led lives that were neither shameful nor righteous. As such, they will spend eternity in the Fields of Asphodel in indifference, just as their lives were. But those souls; the ones with the lamps- they led dignified lives. Oftentimes, they lived for others and were inherently good people or heroes. The lanterns help light their path to their eternal resting place… the Elysian Fields. They will spend their afterlives in comfort and happiness. Some are even given the opportunity to be reborn if they so choose."

"Wow", was all Persephone was able to respond with.

"Wow indeed", Hades replied. "And Cerberus, he is in charge of making sure no one leaves once they have reached their final destination."

"What happened if they do? What happens if they try to escape?" she asked with eyes wide as saucers

"All I can tell you, my dear, is that no one has ever succeeded."

His response sent a chill down her spine.

"And what happens if you're not here to guide their way?"

"The water is guide enough, but if I don't light the lanterns for those who deserve it or burn the boats of those unworthy of any field other than those of punishment, then they are all destined to wander the Styx for as long as she will have them."

A concerned Persephone looked out into the distance at all the souls in the water and couldn't help but feel sad for them. All of them. Noting her change in mood, Hades gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, which she returned.

"Now that I have you here I would like to show you something. These flowers are called cerbera."

"Persephone gasped and went to make a sudden move toward them but was cut off by Hades.

"You are never to touch them, Persephone. They grow only by the rivers and they are extremely poisonous because they are fed by the evils contained within the waters."

"They look like the narcissus…"

"But they are _not_ ", he interjected. Looks can be deceiving and one can say such usurpation was indeed the intention of the gods who brought it to fruition. And speaking of the rivers, you are never to swim or bathe in them- _none_ of them. _Ever._ But especially not _that_ one", he said, pointing to one of the rivers off in the distance that appeared to be glowing an odd shade of violet. "That is the river of forgetfulness. One small sip of its waters, intentionally or not, will leave you wandering the world in complete oblivion for the rest of your days."

"If you wish to swim, hold to the lakes and streams by the castle. They are full of clear, fresh water. You need not come to these rivers. Have I made myself clear?"

All Persephone could do was stare out at the violet glow and wonderment.

Noticing her distraction, Hades grabbed her face with both hands and forced her to look at him.

"Persephone! Are you listening? Have I made myself clear? You are never to go in any of those rivers under any circumstance. Do you understand?" he finished, giving her a lite shake.

"Yes", she breathed, suddenly overcome by how close he was to her. She felt that familiar heat building low in her stomach followed by the all too familiar wetness between her legs.

Hades sensed her sudden change in attitude and felt her face flush with warmth.

"I love you and I'd let the Titans tear me to shreds before I saw any harm come to you." He whispered and watched as her eyes traveled down to his lips and back up to his eyes again. Inspired by her wandering eyes, he too let his eyes move down to inspect her lips and against his own volition, found himself edging closer to her.

He was suddenly reminded of how unworthy of her he was and began to pull away. Just as Persephone felt his grasp on her face begin to weaken, she knew he was going to leave her wanting again, just like he'd done that day in the garden… just like he'd already done so many times before.

Anxious, she brought her hands up to grasp his wrists in an unspoken command. She let her eyes meet his and she saw him searching hers for reassurance. He was met with want and desire and if her labored breathing didn't solidify her unspoken message, then he didn't know what would.

In the blink of an eye, Hades brought his lips to Persephone's in an almost bruising kiss. He let his hands move to grasp the back of her head as her hair laced thru his fingers. She brought her hands to his face and deepened the kiss, pulling him in, refusing to let him go.

After what seemed like an eternity, Hades broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers as they both attempted to catch their breath. Persephone licked her lips and Hades moved to kiss her again- slowly this time. Savoring how soft her lips were, how sweet she tasted and how amazingly she smelled.

Was this real? Was this really happening? He could feel his heart ready to burst from his chest and in another moment of bravery he broke the kiss yet again and asked her the question he'd been wanting to know the answer to since the moment he'd laid eyes on her.

"Persephone… would you do me the honor… of being my wife?" he asked, holding his breath as he waited for her response.

"Yes", she whispered and brought his face to hers for another long, arduous kiss.

She had finally said yes- on her own. Of her own free will! Hades was so ecstatic he practically lept for joy! Six months of waiting and wooing had finally paid off!

And by the gods, was she worth the wait.

Nothing could tear them apart now.

Jenny and Giles sat in the center of his living room, a world map spread out beneath them.

"We'll only have one shot at this locator spell, and I don't even know if what I have is sufficient to find him."

"Well what is it?" Jenny asked, extending her hand out for said object.

Giles then handed her a shirt.

"This is Ethan's?"

Giles shook his head 'no' before responding, "but the blood on it is".

That was when Jenny noticed the small splatters of blood that could be found on the shirt.

"How?" She asked perplexed.

"On Halloween, I had to beat him for the answer on how to end the spell".

She was a bit surprised by the revelation that Giles had what appeared to be somewhat of a violent side. As she examined the shirt further, her heart sank when she began thinking that it wouldn't be enough until she saw a larger stain on the cuff of a sleeve.

"Get me some scissors". Giles wasted no time in retrieving a pair from his desk and watched as Jenny cut the blood stained section out of the shirt.

"You ready?" She asked him. Giles nodded and together they began lighting the candles, burning the incense and reciting the incantations

"We implore thee, find for us that which is hidden. Find for us he who wishes not be found. We burn the blood of this selfish donor in prayer that you find its rightful owner." With that, Jenny threw the blood stained cloth into the bowl of burning incense and just when they lost all hopes for the spell to work, a spark flew from the bowl and ignited the map. Giles instantly blew the flame out and brought the map close to his face to examine the location given by the spell.

Giles looked up at Jenny, an expectant look on her face, and smiled.

"He's in Los Angeles." Giles said. "The bastard is in Los Angeles and I know just where he would be."

Blowing out all the candles they got up in a hurry and took off for the second time that night.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, Joss Whedon and affiliates. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

CHAPTER 13

"Ahhh, Ripper. How good to see you again, " Ethan lied before turning around to make a break for the back door. Giles quickly grabbed him by the collar and knocked him to the floor.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about where my Slayer is if you value your life."

"What?" Ethan asked, genuinely confused. Giles was quick to deliver a strong kick to his ribcage. "Ughhh! Ripper! If you're going to try to beat answers out of me you may want to ask ones I actually know the answers to."

Ethan may be scum, but Giles had known the man before him better than anyone for the majority of his life and he knew when he was telling the truth.

"My slayer went missing on Halloween, in the midst of your chaos, and I demand to know where she is."

"Ripper, I don't know a thing about your slayer."

Again Giles kicked him, in the stomach this time, before pulling him up by the collar and snarling menacingly in his face. "Now I _know_ you're lying!" he said, before rearing his fist back to punch Ethan in the face.

"Wait! Wait! All I know is that the costume I sold her wasn't intended to sell."

"What are you talking about?"

"The costume. The night before your slayer came into my store a vampire arrived after hours and took one of the pair."

"The pair?" Giles asked confused. "What pair?"

"I'd been preparing for Halloween for weeks before finding a locale in Sunnydale. The day before the costumes were delivered I arrived at the store and was met with two costumes- a suit of armor with a staff and a Grecian gown next to the statue of Janus. I don't know why the costumes were there but I had been expecting the statue. I assumed they were integral parts to the spell and was under the impression that they were not to be sold. When the vampire arrived I didn't exactly care if she took it or not because I was far too concerned with keeping my life than failing to acquiesce her request."

"Who was this vampire?"

"A-A woman. She didn't seem quite… there."

"Drusilla", Jenny chimed in.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing I could make much sense of, really. She spoke of flowers and rain and _screaming_. I didn't quite fancy knowing much else."

Losing his patience Giles punched him square in the jaw. "Make sense of it! Remember what she said!"

"Giles!" Jenny yelled.

"Ok! OK! Umm.. flowers! She said the flowers were deceitful. And that all she could see was fire and rain. Rain that flowed… that, that carried gold! That no one could see… she couldn't see them but she could hear them." Looking up at Giles' face he repeated himself… "She said she could hear them screaming. That's all I remember".

"And you sold my slayer the remaining costume, _why_?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Ethan said with a smirk that earned him another blow from Giles.

"Tell me everything you know about the spell… and whatever the god of the underworld has to do with it."

"Hades?" Ethan said, suddenly very interested in whatever Giles had yet to tell him.

Floating.

That was the best way Persephone could describe how she felt.

She was floating thru life and things just couldn't possibly get any better than they were right now. In less than one month she was to be Hades' wife.

His _wife_! Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would ever be a _wife_ , much less a wife who was also a _queen_. And she certainly never would have believed that things would transpire the way they did to get her to this moment. And she didn't resent Hades for it in the least bit.

She loved him.

It seemed crazy given the circumstances under which she'd developed feelings for him but in her heart of hearts, she knew it was real. She was so enraptured by the god and it was still so amazing to her how she went from despising him to him being the most important person in her life.

In the last few weeks since she'd accepted his marriage proposal, they'd spent every waking moment together. Laughing, playing, teasing. Getting to know each other on a deeper level- what they loved, what they hated, what they feared. She's come to know the real Hades- to know exactly who he was- how kind, how sweet, how tender and caring he was. And she found it amusing that people feared him as much as they did.

As she made her way back toward the castle, Persephone admired the trees and flowers Hades had reluctantly allowed her to grow all around it, but her favorite touch was the path of trees leading up to the main entrance.

It had all been simple, really, once Persephone realized how she wanted the landscape. Of course, it wasn't enchanted land like that in her garden, so she was limited to growing things that native to the Underworld, but the end product was astonishingly beautiful, nonetheless.

Persephone reached the stairs of the entry just in time to witness a man with dark hair vanish into thin air. Once he was gone, Hades noticed Persephone's presence and welcomed her with a wide smile and a warm embrace.

"There you are, my darling. Were you in your garden?"

"Noooo, I spent most of the morning behind the palace…"

"Persephoneeee", Hades whined. "In your time here you've transformed my home from an icon of fear into what looks like a greenhouse where children can play with bunnies and…"

"There are bunnies here?" Persephone cut him off.

"That's not the pointtttttt", he whined again.

"Is it not?" Persephone asked, grabbing Hades' hand and bringing it to rest over her belly. In the short time since she'd agreed to be his wife, she couldn't deny that she'd thought about what their children would look like more often than not.

Would they have his eyes or her nose? What would be their temperament? Would they have just one or many? Boys or girls?

"It is, but first I want you all to myself for a good long while!" he said, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around.

Once her laughter died down and Hades set her back on the ground, Persephone remembered the man from earlier.

"Who was that?"

"Who was who?"

"The man I saw you with when I first arrived here moments ago."

"Oh, yes. That was Hermes, my messenger. He was letting me know we'd have visitors this evening."

"Visitors?"

"Yes, two men which I can only assume will be coming to propose a deal."

"A deal? A deal for what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, my love."

"You don't look too happy about it."

Hades smiled and brushed a strand of hair from Persephone's face. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Why don't you go up to your room and begin preparing for tonight. The girls have readied your bath and they'll choose a gown that's 'fitting', for the evening", he said with a smirk.

"Is that so?" Persephone lightheartedly said.

"They said I was not allowed to see it, but I'm sure you'll look _ravishing_." And with that he pulled her in close, his hand splayed across the small of her back and kissed her deeply. After a few minutes they finally pulled away from each other, panting.

"I'll see you later tonight", and with a final kiss to her forehead, he took off walking toward the great room.

Back in her chamber, Persephone was welcomed by her sisters and a warm bath. They took turns shaving her legs and under her arms, readying her to look flawless for the night. Once she was done with her bath they helped her out of the tub and walked her over to the bed where a towel was spread out.

"What's this?"

The girls responded by holding up their respective items, Alecto a small basin filled with water, Tisiphone bathing cream and Megaera a razor.

"What?" Persephone asked again, still confused. Tisiphone responded by pulling her towel off her body and gently ushering her back onto the bed. Suddenly Persephone knew exactly what they had in mind.

"Wh-whoa! Wait! No! Absolutely not!" Persephone said as she struggled against the hands trying to hold her down.

"Persephone, we must. The dress you are to wear tonight requires it. Not to mention that even if you don't do it today you'll want to do it three weeks from now!"

"Three weeks from now?! Why would I _ever_ want to do it?"

"Honestly Persephone, you're being such a child. Its better like this anyway. You'll feel cleaner and come the wedding night you'll look much, much nicer", Megaera defended.

"She's right", Tisiphone agreed.

"But regardless, if you don't do it tonight you'll look like your smuggling sparrows between your legs." Megaera added to the argument.

"And you'll have lost the modesty come the morning of your wedding. Because we will do it again." Alecto chimed in.

Persephone looked incredulously at the women before her. With a huff she reluctantly agreed and lay down on the bed, timidly spreading her legs. She had never been this… open to anyone in her life, much less to three women at once. Had it been anyone else she would have been far more mortified than she already was at the moment.

Tisiphone came forward and began to lather Persephone's mound, covering every visible inch from her inner lips to thighs. She found herself getting very hot, the same way she did every time Hades was near, and the coolness from the cream was a welcome contrast to her scorching center. Then Megaera came forward and began gliding the razor over her skin, taking care not to cut her in her most intimate region.

Megaera brought her hand forward to carefully spread Persephone's lips and she jumped at the contact. "Stay still, Persephone. This is not the place you'd like to be cut." Megaera said to her, so she took a deep breath in and tried to steady herself. There was something so sensual about the entire scenario- her laid back on the bed with her legs spread wide, Megaera gently running a razor down her center over and over again while two other women watched on.

She could feel the heat coming off her in waves and her wetness running onto the towel beneath her. Before she knew it Megaera was wiping the excess water and cream from her skin.

"As compelling as you are, you may want to save that for Hades." Megaera said with a smirk. Embarrassed, Persephone buried her face in her hands and laughed. Alecto helped her off the bed as Tisiphone brought forth the gown they had made for her and allowed her to inspect it.

"Its gorgeous!" Persephone cried. "How did you all have time to make this today?"

"Persephone, we've been working on gowns for you for months."

"Even the simple ones you wear while in your garden are our creations, we just save the really special ones for, well… special occasions."

"Why is this such a special occasion?" Persephone asked.

"Well, it's the first time Hades is allowing visitors since he brought you here. And that is a very good sign."

Persephone smiled and allowed the women to slip their dress over her head. It was a dark forest green in color and while Persephone could not see herself, she could feel the cool surrounding air kissing every exposed surface of her skin.

And boy was she _exposed_.

The dress fell off her right shoulder and immediately opened to reveal a large opening in the shape of a slanted diamond that coursed the entire length of her torso, exposing the middle half of her breasts. The opening continued on all the way down passed her ribcage to her hips, down to the uppermost portion of her thigh just below her mound, then continued on as the slit in her skirt.

Thank the gods they'd shaved her.

The only thing holding the dress together were small gold links fastened to the opposite opening of the dress on her left side. A sash of fabric flowed from the back of the dress, which fell over her right shoulder and exposed almost the entirety of her back before resting just over the right side of her bottom, exposing the swell of her cheek above the hem. They pulled her hair up into a bun with loose tendrils hanging from the confines of the many pins they used to keep the style together and pinned gold leaves to the sides of her head, just above her ears. Her sandals were gold to match the links on her dress and her headpieces, and they laced up to mid calf.

"You're a vision, Persephone!"

"Oh, absolutely! Hades is going to want to fuck you so bad. I want to fuck you so bad!"

"Fuck me?" She asked. "What's…."

"Ooooook! With that said, Hades is waiting for you in the megaron. His guests will be arriving shortly."

"Is this too much? Do you really think he'll like it?" Persephone questioned, an undercurrent of insecurity breaking thru the surface of her words. She'd never worn a dress so revealing.

"Persephone… you look _beautiful_. And Hades will certainly think so once he sees you. You need not be nervous."

Nodding, Persephone turned to exit the room. The girls led her as far as the entrance of the megaron before turning back to allow her to make her entrance alone.

She quietly entered the room and found Hades sitting on his throne, looking off in the opposite direction. He was slouched in his seat and leaning on his left arm, his hand grasping his chin and holding his head up. He was clearly lost in thought and whatever occupied his mind, he did not seem pleased by. Timidly she came forward, feeling more self-conscious by the second, anxious to see Hades' reaction to her appearance.

She was maybe two meters from him when he noticed her presence in the room. He turned his head to take in his intruder only to be met by the sight of his future wife in the most jaw-dropping dress he'd ever seen. The fabric clung to each of her curves in the most mesmerizing way and he couldn't help but want to peel it off of her and see what lay underneath.

He instantly stood from his chair and began making his way toward her as though in a trance. She stopped advancing and watched him as he made his way to her, every muscle in his body rippling with his movements. He looked like a predator, stalking his prey, and Persephone could already feel him devouring her with his eyes.

He stopped just before her and let his eyes wander over her hair, bringing the back of his hand up to gently brush over the loose tendrils framing her face. He slowly inched his lips down to hers and barely allowed them to brush before gliding them across her jawline and then to her ear. Again he could smell her… coconuts and earth laced with the jasmine soaps they used to bathe her, but this time she also smelled like perfume as well. Was that chamomile? Or geranium?

Whatever it was, it was making his senses go haywire. While running his lips over the outer edge of her ear, he noticed her back was almost completely bare and couldn't help but rest his hand on her slightly exposed cheek. He gently squeezed and watched how her flesh dipped beneath the pressure of his fingers.

He noticed when her breathing picked up but he was so entranced by her that it didn't deter him in the least. He circled behind her and gently rand his fingers from her bottom to up the expanse of her back to trail his palm over her shoulder. Coming back around to face her, he continued his exploration of her body at his own, slow, tortuous pace.

He traced her clavicle with his fingers and then allowed his hand to wander down to her chest to ghost over her breasts. He could see thru the fabric of her dress that her nipples had hardened and he couldn't help but allow himself the pleasure of circling first one than the other. Once he was done there he continued moving his hand further south, past the center of her ribcage to trail along the exposed skin of her stomach and hips, wanting so badly to rip away the gold links that appeared to be the only thing holding her dress together.

When he reached the last set of links he noticed the heat coming off her center in waves and was having the hardest time restraining himself from slipping his hand beneath her dress and feeling how wet she was for him. For the briefest moment he lost his nerve and roughly pushed her up against the nearest pillar- grinding the very obvious evidence of his arousal against her- ready to take what was his. At the last second he stopped himself.

' _The wedding is a few short weeks away, Hades. Do right by her.'_ he told himself. But his mischievous side wasn't so ready to give up and quickly found a way around his predicament.

"You look beautiful, my darling", he said, looking into her eyes and seeing how black they'd become- as if they'd been dropped with belladonna. Reaching for her hand, he brought it up to his lips and sensuously kissed her open palm. Never breaking eye contact with her, he turned her hand over and laid kisses across her knuckles. Her mouth fell open and her lips formed into an erotic pout, beckoning him forward.

He touched his lips to hers and spoke against them.

"Are you wet for me, Persephone?"

Aware of the likelihood that she would not understand what he meant, he moved her hand down to her mound and slowly edged the fabric away. Their hands still together, he pushed her lips apart with her own to fingers and put pressure against her center with his hand to ensure she felt how drenched she was for him. Wanting so badly to move her hand away and feel for himself, he asked her again.

"Are you _wet_ for me, Persephone?"

Persephone's mind was one big jumble. She was drowning in sensation. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, her breath was fleeting, she was hot and flushed and with her and Hades' hands between her legs she thought she might explode. Nevermind Hades' intoxicating scent, which was enveloping her like a tight embrace.

"Yessss", she whined.

"Do you know what that means?"

Persephone found herself at a loss for words and shook her head 'no' in response.

"It means that you want me- that you want me to make you _mine_. It means that you want me to strip you of your clothes and lay you down on my bed and take _everything_ you have to give." With his last word, Hades increased the pressure on her clit even more and began moving their hands in a small side-to-side motion. Persephone let out a suppressed moan and began gasping for air.

Without moving his hand from her center he reached for her other one. Again he planted a kiss on her knuckles and moved her hand down to grasp his throbbing erection. Keeping his hand over hers he spoke.

"And this is proof of how much I can't wait to lay you down and take you for myself. All of you. Proof of how badly I want to taste you and fuck you- burry myself so deep inside of you that we cannot tell where I end and you begin. Proof of how desperate I am to make you my wife and fill you with my seed and spend all of eternity doing those same things over and over again."

The fog clouding Persephone's mind cleared just long enough for her to think, 'Ohhhh, thats what fuck means...', before she slipped right back into just feeling without thinking.

"Gnuhhhh", Persephone moaned just as Hades brought his mouth down to hers in a bruising kiss, never stopping the movement of their hands. Persephone became bolder with her the hand held over his cock, and squeezed it for good measure.

Afraid he'd blow his load right there Hades quickly moved her hand away and placed it on one of her breasts, wordlessly encouraging her to roll the nipple between her thumb and index finger. She was moaning loudly now, the sounds she was making echoing across the open space- her eyes shut tight.

"I am yours as well, Persephone. To do with as you please. But not yet." He whispered against her lips, slowing the movement of their still entwined hands. When she began to whine at the change of pace, he told her: "I know what you want, baby. What you need", then pulling their hands out from beneath her dress he finished by saying: "but good things _come_ to those who _wait_." With that, he brought her drenched fingers to her lips, ushering her to open her mouth and slipped her fingers inside.

She ran her tongue over her digits and lapped at her juices- so amazed by how much she enjoyed tasting herself on her own fingers. Loved how new and forbidden this all felt. She slowly began to regain her composure and her breathing evened out. When she opened her eyes Hades was again able to see their beautiful shade of green. Bringing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, he allowed himself to be lost in her for the moment. Reveling in how soft her skin was, her lips, how wonderfully she smelled and how delicious the evidence of her arousal on her lips tasted, even if he only got the smallest sample.

He closed his eyes to take in all of the sensations assaulting him and was now afraid to open them, lest this be a dream he would wake from at ay moment. Had this flawless creature really agreed to be his wife? There were a countless number of things he did not deserve from life and this too had to be one of them. She was too good, too pure for the likes of him.

But he'd be damned if he let anyone take her from him.

"Our guests have arrived, my sweet." He said, looking her over one last time to ensure he left her just as pristine as he'd found her, ready to show her off to his unwelcome guests.

This evening was going to be very interesting.


End file.
